Department for Transport

Transport for London: Coronavirus

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent by police forces on enforcing mandatory mask wearing on TFL services since the end of Plan B covid-19 restrictions.

Trudy Harrison: Face covering enforcement has been incorporated into business as usual patrolling. There is therefore no dedicated funding since the end of Plan B restrictions.

Great British Railways: Consultants

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the monthly cost to the public purse is of consultants supporting or contracted by the Great British Railways Transition Team.

Wendy Morton: Great British Railways Transition Team’s (GBRTT) resourcing and consultancy requirements vary month by month, depending on the level and requirements of the work at different points across the Rail Transformation Programme. The average consultancy cost per month, since GBRTT was created in October 2021, is £1.3m.

High Speed 2 Line: Woore

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what risk assessments were carried out in relation to pedestrian safety when determining the route of HGV traffic for the HS2 construction project through the parish of Woore.

Andrew Stephenson: The Environmental Statements published for HS2 Phase 2a assessed the impacts of construction traffic for the proposed Phase 2a construction routes, including impacts on pedestrians and their safety for the parish of Woore.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Pay: Regional Planning and Development

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, whether the policies on delivering higher wages in poorer communities will involve strengthening trade union power.

Paul Scully: A key part of levelling up is boosting productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector, especially in those places where they are lagging. As set out in the Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper, improvements across all six capitals - physical, human, intangible, financial, social and institutional - are fundamental to achieving increases in productivity and wages. The Government believes that our Trade Union legislation, as amended by the Trade Union Act 2016, strikes the right balance. The Trade Union Act modernises the UK’s industrial relations framework to better support an effective and collaborative approach to resolving industrial disputes, balancing the interests of unions with the interests of the wider public. The Act makes strike laws fairer for working people by ensuring that strikes only happen as a result of a clear, democratic decision by those entitled to vote, restoring public confidence that where industrial action takes place, it has the strong support of union members. The Act therefore strikes a fairer balance between the rights of unions and the needs of employers and the wider public.

Parental Pay

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of changes since 2010 in the relative value of the standard weekly rate of statutory maternity, paternity and shared parental leave pay compared to (a) the adult rate of National Living Wage, (b) women's median weekly earnings and (c) men's median weekly earnings.

Paul Scully: Statutory parental pay is intended to provide a degree of earnings replacement to support parents in taking time off around the birth of their children. It has never been intended to completely replace employee earnings; they represent only a portion of the state-funded support available to new families in the first year of their child's life. Many employers choose to offer more generous contractual provisions. The Government welcomes this, though we believe such arrangements are a contractual matter best agreed between employers and employees. The National Living Wage (NLW) was introduced in April 2016. Minimum wage increase recommendations are made to the Government by the independent Low Pay Commission considering a wide range of economic and labour market factors. The Government continues to set a minimum hourly wage, but remuneration over and above that rate, again, is a contractual matter between the employer and the employee. The table below shows the standard rate of statutory parental payments, the NMW/NLW and median weekly earnings for women and men in each year since 2010. Table 1: Standard rate of statutory parental payments, the NMW/NLW and median weekly earnings for women and men, 2010-11 to 2022-23. YearStatutory Payment Rate (Weekly) 1Adult NMW/NLW (Hourly) 3Female Average (median) Weekly Earnings4Male Average (median) Weekly Earnings42010-11£124.88£5.93£315.80£496.502011-12£128.73£6.08£313.20£493.002012-13£135.45£6.19£319.70£498.102013-14£136.78£6.31£327.20£507.802014-15£138.18£6.50£330.40£507.402015-16£139.58£6.70£337.10£517.502016-17£139.58£7.20£349.10£530.402017-18£140.98£7.50£358.30£540.602018-19£145.18£7.83£369.90£554.602019-20£148.68£8.21£388.10£574.902020-21£151.20£8.72£400.10£568.402021-22£151.97£8.91£420.10£594.102022-23£156.66£9.50N/AN/A Notes1. Statutory payments rates are the same across Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay and, since 2015/16, Statutory Shared Parental Pay. Statutory payments rates are updated each April using The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order. The uprating is based on September CPI figures as published by the Office for National Statistics.3. The NLW was introduced in April 2016. For earlier years the NMW rate for those aged 21 and over has been presented in the table, these rates came into effect in October each year.4. Average weekly earnings are taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings as published by the Office for National Statistics based on a snapshot date. Earnings estimates are based on a pay period that covers a specific date in April each year.

Company Liquidations

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of insolvency company charges on the payment of outstanding salaries of employees who have been made redundant following company liquidation.

Paul Scully: An insolvent company is unable to pay its creditors in full (including employees). The appointed Insolvency Practitioner will do their best to maximise the payments from realised assets, though it is unlikely that all creditors’ claims would be met in full. It is for this reason that there are special arrangements for dismissed employees under the insolvency provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which ensure that they receive a basic minimum of the debts owed by the employer from the National Insurance Fund. Former employees of an insolvent employer can, in certain circumstances, claim redundancy payments and other contractual amounts (subject to statutory limits) such as unpaid wages, notice pay and outstanding holiday pay from the National Insurance Fund.

Hospitality Industry: Employment

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) careers in hospitality and (b) career development pathways in the hospitality sector.

Paul Scully: In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. The Government has committed to explore options for vocational training offers that support career paths in the sector, and to work with the sector to raise the profile of skills and careers in hospitality. The Department for Education has also added hospitality and catering qualifications to the Free Courses for Jobs, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. Additionally, we increased employer-led apprenticeship funding to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, extending the £3,000 incentive payment for every apprentice a business hired up until 31 January 2022, and improving the apprenticeship system for employers. 7 February marks the start of the National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2022, celebrating the positive impact apprenticeships bring to employers, individuals, and the economy.

Hospitality Industry: Vacancies

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to work with industry representatives to tackle labour shortages in the hospitality sector.

Paul Scully: In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy, including working with the sector to address labour and skills shortages. To help address the immediate challenges of labour shortages in the hospitality sector, the Department for Work and Pensions has been working hard to fill ongoing vacancies by using work coaches to help find local talent and Plans for Jobs programmes, such as Kickstart and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes.

Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s manufacturing sector.

Lee Rowley: The UK is one of the largest manufacturing nations, ranked 9th globally by output, and manufacturing contributed £173 billion of GVA to the UK economy in 2020. The sector plays a vital role in the UK economy through innovating (accounting for 61% of all business expenditure for UK research and development), exports (46% of total UK exports) and job creation (supporting 2.6 million jobs). As such, the Government recognises the importance of UK manufacturing and is committed to its continued development as a strong, vibrant and diverse sector. Although decisions about investments and job creation are ultimately a matter for individual private enterprise, the Government has provided funding for strategically important manufacturing subsectors: leveraging billions across the renewables supply chain; backing Britain’s automotive sector through new Gigafactories; and onshoring new offshore wind manufacturing to the UK. Furthermore, we continue to focus on improving the long-term competitiveness and productivity of manufacturing by investing in research & development, skills and support for digital technology through initiatives such as Made Smarter, Help to Grow and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. In addition, the Government is encouraging companies to invest in productivity-enhancing plant and machinery. Manufacturing businesses can benefit from the super-deduction, which allows companies to claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments, as well as the extension to the Annual Investment Allowance to 31 March 2023 at its higher level of £1 million.

Life Sciences

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken on the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision including enabling cancer immune therapies.

George Freeman: The Government, NHS and Life Science Sector have already taken significant steps in delivering the Life Science Vision. Activity since publication includes the establishment and delivery of the Life Science Scale Up Taskforce, the launch of the £200m Life Sciences Investment Programme, work to improve the NHS’s capacity and capability to utilise new technologies, and innovation work by the Vaccine Taskforce and Antivirals Taskforce to secure access to cutting-edge new technologies to address COVID-19. Following the conclusion of the 2021 Spending Review on 27th October, the government has confirmed specific funds will be provided upfront to directly support the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision. This includes £95m funding to support the uptake of innovative drugs and technologies and address a number of the Healthcare Missions outlined in the Vision, funding to drive new initiatives through Genomics England to deliver life-changing technologies, and £354m to strengthen the UK’s Life Sciences manufacturing base. This builds on significant programmes of investment in Health Research across DHSC and BEIS, and the largest ever increases in the NHS’s operating budget. The Office for Life Sciences are working with partner organisations to develop the implementation plan, which will deliver on the commitments as set out in the Life Sciences Vision including supporting the development and commercialisation of immuno-oncology and cancer vaccines in the UK. Further details on the implementation plan will be set out in due course.

Research

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to develop the Research and Development Roadmap into a Research and Development Plan.

George Freeman: Published in July 2020, the R&D Roadmap set out the Government’s vision and ambition for the next chapter for UK research and development. BEIS is focusing on implementation and delivery of the Roadmap and of subsequent strategies, such as the Innovation and People and Culture Strategies. The objectives of the Roadmap are also being driven through the independently led Reviews of Research Bureaucracy and the Research, Development and Innovation Organisational Landscape. We have also announced the appointment of Dr Peter Highman as the first Chief Executive of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

Spaceflight: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the announcement, Boost for space clusters across the UK, whether the funding for the Open University to support and coordinate regional space sector growth ambitions in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc is part of the Levelling Up agenda.

George Freeman: This Government is fully committed to levelling up across the whole of the UK. The funding for the Oxford to Cambridge arc is one of ten grants we have provided across all parts of the UK to support space sector growth and connect the space sector ecosystem. The activity delivered by the Open University will reach into the South midlands and across to East Anglia and will ensure expertise in the region is accessible to the whole of the UK and vice versa.

Regional Planning and Development: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to box 3.6 on page 172 of the Levelling Up White Paper, what the £20 million of UK Government and local government funding will be for.

George Freeman: The UK Space Agency has awarded a grant of £7.35m to Virgin Orbit to enable horizonal launch from Spaceport Cornwall. This is supported by Cornwall Council funding to support the establishment of Spaceport Cornwall, which should be operational in the next few months.

Research: Finance

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, if he will make it his policy to undertake a Government consultation before making any changes to the Research Evaluation Framework.

George Freeman: In reference to the Research Excellence Framework, the four UK higher education funding bodies are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the UK’s national research assessment system. The Future Research Assessment Programme includes in-depth evaluation of the current Research Excellence Framework, exploratory work on future models, and advice from an independent group of international experts. The review will consider a wide range of issues relevant to the Levelling Up White Paper, including how best to recognise and reward the contribution that research carried out in UK higher education providers makes to society and the economy locally, nationally and internationally. This programme of work includes open consultation with those who work in and engage with research carried out in UK higher education providers. The consultation will be launched by the HE funding bodies in the coming weeks. BackgroundThis answer assumes that the question refers to the “Research Excellence Framework”, as we don’t recognise “Research Evaluation Framework”.

Research: Finance

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, whether he plans to make changes to the Research Evaluation Framework.

George Freeman: In reference to the Research Excellence Framework, the four UK higher education funding bodies are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the UK’s national research assessment system. The Future Research Assessment Programme includes in-depth evaluation of the current Research Excellence Framework, exploratory work on future models, and advice from an independent group of international experts. The review will consider a wide range of issues relevant to the Levelling Up White Paper, including how best to recognise and reward the contribution that research carried out in UK higher education providers makes to society and the economy locally, nationally and internationally. This programme of work includes open consultation with those who work in and engage with research carried out in UK higher education providers. The consultation will be launched by the HE funding bodies in the coming weeks.BackgroundThis answer assumes that the question refers to the “Research Excellence Framework”, as we don’t recognise “Research Evaluation Framework”.

Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Box 3.6 on page 172 of the Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper, how much of the £210 million for the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation was contributed by (a) the Government and (b) IBM.

George Freeman: In 2021, the Government, via UK Research and Innovation, agreed to invest £172 million over five years for the new Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI). This is met with a £38 million in-kind contribution from IBM.

Research: International Cooperation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of how the model of global collaborative funding for covid-19 research can be used in other research areas.

George Freeman: International collaboration has been a vital part of the response to Covid-19 and the UK has played a leading role globally. BEIS, alongside other Government Departments, funded the creation of the Covid Circle platform that enables researchers to access and understand international funding opportunities specifically related to Covid-19. More broadly the Integrated Review, R&D Roadmap, and Innovation Strategy all highlight how international collaboration can support a dynamic and innovative UK and support strategic priorities. This is why we are working with colleagues across HMG to develop an International Science & Technology Partnerships Framework to share cross-government interests in international R&D and the landscape of global opportunities and challenges.

Attorney General

Children: Abuse

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of successful prosecutions for cases involving child abuse.

Alex Chalk: Child sexual abuse cases are some of the most challenging, complex and sensitive cases. They are dealt with by specially trained prosecutors, working closely with the police to build the strongest possible cases that meet the legal test. In 2020-2021 there were 6,402 prosecutions for cases classified as child abuse. In the same period the conviction rate was 85.6%, an increase of 2.7% on the previous year. The government has successfully rolled out Section 28 for vulnerable victims and witnesses, including children, in all Crown Courts from November 2020. We know that Section 28 provisions which provide for pre-recorded cross-examination can help to improve the experience of victims by enabling them to give their evidence earlier in the process and outside of the courtroom. The CPS has comprehensive Legal Guidance for prosecutors on cases involving child abuse. This Guidance supports prosecutors to build strong cases and bring effective prosecutions. It is currently being updated to take account of the latest developments in law and policy.

Department of Health and Social Care

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the role of antiviral drugs in protecting people who are immunocompromised from covid-19.

Maggie Throup: Antivirals for COVID-19 are designed to be taken in the early stages of infection to stop progression to more severe disease and hospitalisation. Vaccines continue to be the best way to protect people from COVID-19, however, antivirals and other treatments provide a necessary additional line of defence by playing a crucial role in protecting patients, particularly those for whom the vaccine may be less effective such as the immunosuppressed.The Government has procured two COVID-19 novel antivirals, molnupiravir and PF-7321332+ritonavir (co-packaged as Paxlovid). A total of 4.98 million courses of antivirals have been procured, this is more than any other European country. Since 16 December 2021, molnupiravir has been available for a cohort of patients whose immune systems mean they are at higher risk from COVID-19. As of 6 February, 5,787 patients within this cohort have received an antiviral. PF-7321332+ritonavir will be available to these patients from 10 February.Antivirals are also currently being deployed through the PANORAMIC national study in order to collect more data on how antivirals work in the United Kingdom with a mostly vaccinated population. The Department of Health and Social Care will provide a further update on this in due course.

Travel: Coronavirus

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the process for removing businesses from the list of PCR test providers for travel on the gov.uk website in the event that those providers do not meet the criteria they have set for delivery and process times of PCR tests.

Maggie Throup: We continuously monitor and assess the adequacy of the process for removing private providers, including delivery and testing services, to ensure a high-quality service to customers.Since the start of the travel testing programme, we have refined the process for identifying where providers have not met our standards for the delivery and processing of polymerase chain reaction testing.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that young people with asthma and other respiratory problems, who received their first and second covid-19 vaccination early are prioritised for the booster dose having now waited over six months between doses.

Maggie Throup: On 22 December 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that at-risk children aged 12 to 15 years old, including those with poorly controlled asthma, should be offered a booster dose a minimum of three months after completion of the primary vaccination schedule. From 17 January 2022, the National Health Service began administering booster doses to those who had completed their primary vaccination at least three months ago prior to that date. Eligible children, including those with poorly controlled asthma, have been contacted by local NHS services to arrange their appointments.The booster programme which began in September 2021 prioritised young people aged 16 years old and above with health conditions at greater risk from COVID-19. This included those with chronic respiratory diseases including severe asthma.

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department is undertaking on the long-term effectiveness of covid-19 vaccines for blood cancer patients.

Maggie Throup: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is providing £4 million towards the OCTAVE trial examining responses to COVID-19 vaccines in clinically at-risk groups, including those with certain blood cancers. The OCTAVE-DUO clinical trial (funded with £2.2 million from the Vaccines Taskforce and UKRI) is studying whether a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine will improve the immune response for people who have weakened immune systems.UKRI is also providing £4 million for five COVID-19 research projects studying the durability of vaccine responses, low responses linked with health conditions, and the effect of booster shots. These studies include a wide range of people, including certain types of blood cancer.Additionally, UKRI is supporting the MELODY study which aims to recruit immunosuppressed people, including those with blood cancer, to work out their immune response to COVID-19 vaccination and future risk of infection, hospitalisation and survival over a six-month period.The National Institute for Health Research is also providing infrastructure support to the PROSECO study evaluating COVID-19 vaccine immune responses in people with lymphoid cancer; as well as the MyeloidScan study investigating the impact of COVID 19 infection and vaccination on organ function in patients with myeloid blood cancers.

Coronavirus: Screening

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what further steps he will take to tackle the backlog of applications which have been submitted to the Coronavirus Test Device Approval process.

Maggie Throup: Addressing the backlog is a priority, however most applicants did not initially provide evidence of the correct type or standard. We have provided feedback to applicants on what additional information is required to progress their application and allowed the appropriate time to provide it.We have made improvements to the process that have seen an increased flow of applications to the final stages. These steps include increasing the number of scientific advisors to meet demand, as well as updating the online guidance for applicants on 7 February 2022 to provide greater clarity for acceptance criteria for the range of viral loads within samples. This should enable applications to move through the process more efficiently.We will continue to work with stakeholders to identify opportunities to streamline the process.

Coronavirus: Screening

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on plans to streamline the approval process of UK-made covid-19 tests.

Maggie Throup: Approval of COVID-19 tests for private use falls under the Coronavirus Test Devices Approvals regulation (CTDA). The CTDA process is robust, only devices that meet the high regulatory standards are available to the British public. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency were heavily involved from the start in setting these high-performance standards.25% of approved devices are from United Kingdom manufacturers, however, it is important as a fair and neutral regulator of market access that all applicants are treated equally and the Government is working at speed to review applications for devices submitted via this process. We have increased the number of scientific advisors to meet clinical demand and speed up CTDA approvals. Discussions are ongoing about how to further align regulation to ensure it works best for industry and the public.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support research into (a) second and (b) third generation covid-19 vaccines.

Maggie Throup: The Department-funded National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) research infrastructure actively supports research funded by the life sciences industry, charities and other funders; enabling the development of new interventions to prevent disease, including novel vaccines. The NIHR’s Clinical Research Network supports the set-up and delivery of commercial and non-commercial studies in England, including those investigating second and third generation COVID-19 vaccines, for example AstraZeneca’s Beta variant vaccine.The Vaccine Taskforce (VTF) works closely with developers to understand any plans for variant vaccines and to ensure vaccines continued efficacy against new variants of concern. The VTF keeps emerging vaccine technologies under review.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September to Question 47056, what assessment he has made of the number of UK residents, who have received one or more covid-19 vaccinations overseas who have been unable to use the NHS booking system to make an appointment to receive their booster vaccination.

Maggie Throup: No formal assessment has been made. However, the Overseas Vaccines Validation Service has been established for individuals to register their vaccinations with the National Health Service in England. Depending on the vaccine received overseas, they may also access the NHS COVID Pass. There are now 54 vaccination centres offering this service in England and approximately 6,000 appointments available per week.

Coronavirus: Screening

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency measures are in place in the event of significantly increased levels of demand for covid-19 lateral flow tests.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure supply of covid-19 lateral flow tests prior to the publication of his Department's press release entitled Daily rapid testing for COVID-19 contacts launches this week on 12 December 2021.

Maggie Throup: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procured additional stocks of lateral flow device (LFD) tests and increased delivery capacity. Over 350 million additional LFD tests were secured, additional home delivery capacity was provided through the Royal Mail, while more tests were supplied to pharmacies and community testing.

Obesity: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Tier 3 Weight Management Services in tackling rising levels of childhood obesity.

Maggie Throup: We are committed to ongoing evaluation of the impact of weight management services. The National Obesity Audit, due to be launched in 2022, will collect patient level information and analyse robust comparative data from the different types of services which support people to manage their weight. This will include assessment of the efficacy of children’s tier 3 weight management services.

NHS Test and Trace: Staff

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been spent on (a) contractors and (b) temporary staff for NHS Track and Trace.

Maggie Throup: We are unable to provide the information in the format requested.The interim unaudited financial position indicates there has been approximately £370 million expenditure on contractors and temporary staff for 2020/21. This figure does not include civil servants who were on loan or secondment to the NHS Test and Trace service.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing and Screening

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the amount (a) spent in 2020-21 and (b) of projected spend in 2021-2022 is on the purchase of (a) PCR tests, (b) lateral flow tests, (c) PPE and (d) other covid-19 testing equipment.

Maggie Throup: We are unable to provide the amount spent in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years on the purchases of PCR tests, lateral flow device tests and other COVID-19 testing equipment, as this information is commercially sensitive.

Obesity: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients are waiting for NHS Tier 3 and Tier 4 Weight Management Services; and what the average wait time is for those services.

Maggie Throup: NHS England and NHS Improvement does not routinely collect or publish data on the number of patients waiting for Tier 3 or 4 services or their average wait times; however, NHS England and NHS Improvement has sought data on this, which is currently being finalised.The pandemic has delayed access to Tier 4 services, as with other elective surgeries, due to service providers being redeployed to support the COVID-19 response. NHS England and NHS Improvement has worked with Integrated Care Systems to develop regional recovery plans for Tier 3 and Tier 4 specialist weight management services. Funding has been provided to systems to support the implementation of these plans.

Dermatology: Steroid Drugs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent topical steroid withdrawal reactions while tackling the severe reactions that can result from long term use of steroid-based dermatological treatments.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there is a specialist team within (a) his Department and (b) NHS England assessing topical steroid withdrawal reactions.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is undertaking work with the organisation Scratch That which supports people with topical steroid withdrawal reactions.

Maria Caulfield: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reviewed topical steroid withdrawal and in September 2021 issued advice to inform prescribers and patients of the risks of long term treatment, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/topical-corticosteroids-information-on-the-risk-of-topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactionsFollowing the review, patient information leaflets are being amended to add warnings regarding long term use and the development of topical steroid withdrawal. The MHRA has also developed a safety leaflet, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/topical-corticosteroids-and-withdrawal-reactionsWhile there is no specialist team in the Department or NHS England, the MHRA has published an assessment of topical steroid withdrawal reactions, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/topical-steroid-withdrawal-reactions-a-review-of-the-evidenceThe MHRA continues to monitor reports received via the Yellow Card Scheme. No specific work has been undertaken with Scratch That.

Obesity: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to encourage an increase in GP referrals to medical weight loss clinics.

Maggie Throup: The government has invested £20.4 million in the Weight Management Enhanced Service in 2021/22, which supports general practitioners (GPs) to refer individuals to Weight Management Services. The Department have published training for primary care staff to become Healthy Weight Coaches, who facilitate conversations about weight, signpost and refer people to services, and offer support. We are also working closely with the Royal College of General Practitioners to understand how to further support GP referrals to weight management services.

Obesity: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to fund new Tier 3 Weight Management Clinics for (a) adults and (b) children.

Maggie Throup: NHS England and NHS Improvement is investing £3 million in 2021/22 and a further £6 million in 2022/23 to mobilise 15 new Tier 3 clinics for children and young people. These services will provide holistic support to manage complications from severe obesity.This is in addition to £4 million of new funding for 2021/22 to support the expansion of adult specialist weight management services and bariatric surgeries, including working with Integrated Care Systems to map the existing provision of services.

Obesity: Health Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the National Obesity Audit will be published; and what assessment the Audit will make of the effectiveness of Tier 3 weight management services.

Maggie Throup: The National Obesity Audit (NOA) will launch in the first quarter of this year, at which point tier 3 weight management services will be able to submit data to the NOA. The NOA will seek to collect data and inform on demographics, comorbidities, access to and outcomes from services.

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing and Screening

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent by his Department on (a) laboratory capacity to process PCR tests and (b) contact tracing including contact centres in 2020-2021; and what estimate he has made of the projected spends for those areas in 2021-2022.

Maggie Throup: We are unable to provide the amount spent in the 2020/21 financial year on laboratory capacity for the purposes of processing PCR tests and an estimate of projected spend in that area, as this information is commercially sensitive.The interim unaudited financial position indicates that expenditure on Trace activities, in the 2020/21 financial period was approximately £911 million. A breakdown of NHS Test and Trace audited expenditure for 2020/2021 will be published once finalised.As of 31 December 2021, the unaudited projected spend on Trace activities for 2021/22 was £589 million.

NHS Test and Trace: Consultants

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much (a) has been spent in 2020-21 and (b) is projected to be spent in 2021-22 on consultancy fees for NHS Track and Trace.

Maggie Throup: The 2020/21 NHS Test & Trace total budget was £22 billion. The Department’s annual report and accounts 2020-21 reported an actual of £13.5 billion for this period. The 2020-21 NHS Test & Trace budget for consultancy was £460 million. The interim and unaudited financial position indicates that actual expenditure for this period was approximately £195 million. NHS Test & Trace operated in an environment of high uncertainty, where demand for testing and tracing was affected by new variants, case numbers and policy decisions such as national lockdowns. As a result, monthly spending fluctuated throughout the year. A breakdown of NHS Test & Trace audited expenditure for 2020-21 is intended for future publication.The NHS Test & Trace Programme has been allocated £15 billion in 2021-22, spend figures will be published as part of the annual accounts at the end of the financial year. Future spend in this area will be in line with demand.

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals to end the requirement to self-isolate by spring 2022 on immunosuppressed persons.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Government's proposals to end the legal requirement to self-isolate in Spring 2022 on the ability of immunosuppressed people to access their places of work.

Maggie Throup: The Department must, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, consider the impact of policy decisions on protected groups when changes to legislation are made.In the case of the self-isolation regulations this will be done alongside public health considerations ahead of any final decision to remove or amend these regulations and consideration will be given to groups who may be disproportionately impacted by changes to the legislation or guidance, as well as those who are immunosuppressed.

Dental Services: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's current target is for dental appointment waiting times.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has not set targets for dental appointment waiting times. During the pandemic National Health Service dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as possible, focussing first on urgent care and care for vulnerable groups, including children, followed by overdue appointments. Contractors will also have regard to guidance issued by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on appropriate recall intervals, which are also based on clinical judgement.

Dental Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's policy is on how people can access dental care in circumstances where NHS dental treatment is not available.

Maria Caulfield: Patients struggling to find a local dentist can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance or contact NHS 111 if seeking urgent care.A one-off additional £50 million recently secured for National Health Service dental services this financial year will urgently give more people access to vital dental care.

Donor Conceived Truth Campaign

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet representatives of the Donor Conceived Truth Campaign to discuss the legal rights of donor conceived people.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has not received any representations from the Donor Conceived Truth Campaign, at this stage.The Department has asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to undertake a review of the existing Human Fertilisation and Embryology legislation, which will include engagement with a wide range of interested groups. This was launched in December 2021 and is intended to report by the end of 2022.

Dental Services: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that all children receive at least an annual dental check in the context of NHS dental appointment shortages.

Maria Caulfield: National Health Service (NHS) dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as possible, focussing first on urgent care and care for vulnerable groups, including children, followed by overdue appointments.A one-off additional £50 million recently secured for NHS dental services this financial year will urgently give more people, including children, access to vital dental care.

Dental Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of mandating dentists to work for a proportion of their time in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: There is no current Government assessment of the potential merits of mandating dentists to work a proportion of time in the National Health Service (NHS).Work is underway to reform the NHS dental system and contract. A wide range of options are being considered for long term reform of the dental system.

Brain: Tumours

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent funding has been made available for research into brain tumours.

Maria Caulfield: In May 2018 the Government announced a £40 million investment over five years for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR released a public announcement to the research community, making clear our desire to receive brain tumour research funding applications.This has led to an increase in proposals, many of which have been funded, including a £1.7 million trial of functional and ultrasound guided surgery for glioblastoma, and a £1.4 million intraoperative hyperspectral imaging for data-driven real-time surgical guidance.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including brain tumour research, which remains a priority for NIHR.

Domestic Abuse

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's Vision for the Women’s Health Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the collection of data on domestic abuse survivors to ensure that (a) the allocation and spending of funding is effective and (b) survivors needs are being met.

Gillian Keegan: The Department is currently developing the details of the Women’s Health Strategy in England and data will be a thematic priority. We will publish the full strategy later this year.Department officials are working closely with the Office for National Statistics on options for increasing domestic abuse data collection. This is to support local commissioners who are responsible for performing needs assessments and ensuring services meet the needs of their population.

Autism: Children

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of post-diagnosis support services for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of post-diagnosis support services for parents and carers of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Gillian Keegan: While we have not made any specific assessments, we recognise the need to improve access to support following an autism diagnosis being made. In 2021/22 as part of the £31 million of funding provided for autism and learning disability services under the COVID-19 Mental Health and Wellbeing Recovery Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement have provided £7 million of funding to local areas to test and implement timely, quality autism diagnosis and post-diagnosis pathways for children and young people, including support for parents and carers. In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care is working closely with the Department for Education on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review which seeks to ensure that children and young people with SEND receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the guidance entitled: Covid-19: management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings, for what reason there are differences in the self-isolation rules for care home (a) staff and (b) residents.

Gillian Keegan: The guidance entitled “COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings” was updated on 17 January 2022. This allows staff who develop COVID-19 symptoms or who have tested positive on a lateral flow device (LFD) test or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to end their isolation earlier. They can now end their isolation on the sixth day, provided they have two consecutive negative LFD tests. The guidance for staff who are contacts of a case has not changed.The guidance “Admission and care of residents in a care home setting during COVID-19” recommends that care home residents should self-isolate for 14 days if they have COVID-19, if they have symptoms or if they are a contact of someone with COVID-19.The reason for this difference is that this is a precautionary approach to reduce risk of transmission within a care home setting, for those with underlying health conditions which may affect their immune system and may mean they remain infectious for longer.

Hepatitis: Vaccination

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of offering the hepatitis A and B vaccinations as routine vaccinations rather than for high-risk groups.

Maria Caulfield: The approach of vaccinating high-risk groups for both hepatitis A and B vaccination programmes is based on the government expert immunisation advisors, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI keeps the eligibility criteria of all vaccination programmes under review and considers new evidence as it emerges.

Social Services: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the estimated annual increase is in funding for local government for social care as a result of the introduction of the new social care tax.

Gillian Keegan: On 7th September we announced £5.4 billion over three years for Adult Social Care, and this investment in adult social care is being funded from the new Health and Social Care Levy. This includes over £3.6 billion to reform the social care charging system and enable all local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair rate for care, and over £1.7 billion to begin major improvements across the care system in England, including at least £500 million investment in the workforce.

Yellow Fever: Vaccination

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the yellow fever vaccine available on the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: Yellow fever occurs in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and South and Central America. There is no risk of transmission in the United Kingdom (UK) from imported cases of yellow fever since the mosquito vector does not occur in the UK. Therefore, there are no current plans make this vaccine available on the National Health Service.

Mental Health: Children

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children who present with tic type behaviour (a) as at February 2022 and (b) prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: This information is not collected centrally.

Emetophobia: Children

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children who present with emetophobia (a) as at February 2022 and (b) prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

Gillian Keegan: The information is not held centrally.

Care Homes: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current annual total budget is for public sector contributions to residential social care covering central and local government.

Gillian Keegan: Budget data is not collected for the residential part of the adult social care sector. NHS Digital publishes statistics on social care expenditure, with the latest available statistics from the Adult Social Care Finance Return available at the following link.https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-social-care-activity-and-finance-report/2019-20According to these statistics the Net Current Expenditure by local authorities on long-term support in nursing and residential care was £5.7 billion in 2020-21.

Gambling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to implement policies and interventions to reduce gambling-related harms in England.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has responsibility for the treatment of gambling-related harms. The NHS Long Term Plan published in 2019 announced the creation of 15 new specialist problem gambling clinics with up to £15 million of funding allocated over five years until 2023/24. Five clinics are already in operation, and DHSC continues to support the National Health Service on the phased expansion of services.The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the lead government department on gambling, responsible for policy and regulation, and is leading the wide-ranging Review of the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure that the protections in place are appropriate for the digital age. DHSC remains fully supportive of the Review and will continue to work collaboratively with DCMS to advise policy direction where appropriate.

Autism: Young People

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of post-diagnosis support services for young people aged 17+ with Autistic Spectrum Disorder; and what specific tailored support is available to help those young people transition to adulthood.

Gillian Keegan: This specific assessment has not been made although we recognise the need to improve access to support, following an autism diagnosis being made. In 2021/22 as part of £31 million funding provided to NHS England and NHS Improvement under the COVID-19 Mental Health and Wellbeing Recovery Plan for autism and learning disability services, NHS England and NHS Improvement has provided £7 million in funding to local areas to test and implement timely, quality autism diagnosis and post-diagnosis pathways for children and young people, including those aged 17 years old and above. As set out in Statutory Guidance on Autism published in March 2015, local authorities should work together with education and social care partners to plan for and provide services for autistic children and young people as they move from being children to adults and to ensure that support services are tailored to the needs of their local population.

NHS: Uniforms

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the results were of the consultation on having a national uniform policy for the NHS.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to trial a national uniform policy following the NHS-wide consultation; and what the timescale is for those plans.

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans for a new national uniform policy including a social value weighting with factors including sustainability and UK manufacture of smart scrubs.

Edward Argar: NHS Supply Chain, with NHS England and NHS Improvement, issued a consultation paper in April 2021 asking the workforce if they were supportive of the introduction of a national uniform, and 82% responded in favour of this approach. As part of the sourcing process, potential suppliers have been asked to submit a design for a smart scrub and provide a range of garments in different sizes which could be trialled across the NHS.Once a preferred design has been agreed, further trials will take place to ensure this design meets the needs of the NHS before being finalised. NHS Supply Chain hope to complete this process by the end of this year. Both sustainability and social value form a significant element of the evaluation process. As this is an active procurement process, details of the evaluation approach cannot be declared but these areas will be addressed.

Long Covid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people (a) over 18 and (b) under 18 diagnosed with long covid.

Maria Caulfield: The information is not available in the format requested.The Department uses estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the prevalence of ongoing symptoms following COVID-19 infection in the United Kingdom. Estimates are based on the self-reporting of ongoing symptoms by study participants, not a clinical diagnosis.It is not possible to provide ONS estimates in the age groups requested.

Drugs: Licensing

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the assessment rate is for UK national drug licences by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as at 12 November 2021; and what steps his Department is taking to improve that assessment rate.

Maria Caulfield: As of 12 November 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted 832 Marketing Authorisation applications with an average net determination time of 216 days. This is comparable to previous determination times in 2019, where 859 applications were determined in an average of 227 days and 670 applications were determined in an average of 220 days in 2020.The MHRA is implementing a new operating model, combining diagnostics, medicines, vaccines, medical devices and digital technologies to deliver risk-proportionate regulation. The MHRA will ensure that products can reach the market more quickly, whilst addressing any safety concerns.

Abortion: Gender

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent sex selective abortion.

Maggie Throup: The Department has no plans to being forward legislation in this area.The Department issued guidance in 2014 stating that abortion on the grounds of sex alone is illegal.Sex is not itself a lawful ground under the Abortion Act.

Social Services: Ethnic Groups

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the experience of inequalities in adult social care need by ethnicity; and what plans his Department has to tackle that matter.

Gillian Keegan: No assessment has been made. The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) new strategy contains a core ambition to tackle inequalities in health and care, which includes regulating to advance equality and protect people’s human rights. As part of CQC’s commitment to drive improvement in quality, CQC expects services and local systems to address inequalities in access, experiences, and outcomes. Local authorities have a duty under the Care Act to prevent needs of the local population deteriorating.We are committed to publishing a Health Disparities White Paper later this year which will set out a series of impactful measures to address health disparities and their causes, including those linked to geography, deprivation and ethnicity.

Mental Health Services

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle delays in the publication of the Mental Health Services monthly statistics.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the delays in the publication of the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics on the ability of relevant stakeholders to understand the experience of people living with mental illness.

Gillian Keegan: There was a pre-announced delay of two weeks from 13 January to 27 January 2022 for publication of the January provisional Mental Health Services Data Set (MHSDS). This publication was the first one to be based on a new version of the dataset, which involved mental health providers collecting new information and NHS Digital developing its system to process this. Delays in this development led to the two-week postponement of the provisional publication. NHS Digital has confirmed that as the development has now concluded, standard monthly publication processes have resumed, and the February MHSDS was published on 10 February 2022 as scheduled.No such assessment has been made regarding the effect of the delays in the publication of the Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics. The timeliness of this publication remains a priority and key learning and improvements have been identified from this project which will be used to implement future dataset version changes.

Department for Education

Students: Housing

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support student households in response to the rise of the energy price cap.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the energy price cap rise on the finances of student households.

Michelle Donelan: Universities and private accommodation providers are autonomous and are responsible for setting their own agreements over rent and bills. The government plays no direct role in the provision of student residential accommodation whether the accommodation is managed by universities or private sector organisations.Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, and we have announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% next year.Increases are based on the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts of inflation in the first quarter of the calendar year after the start of the relevant academic year using the RPIX inflation index (Retail Prices Index, less Mortgage Interest Payments).Our grant funding to the Office for Students (OfS) for the current financial year includes an allocation of £5 million to higher education (HE) providers in England in order to provide additional support for student hardship. In our guidance to the OfS on funding for the 2021/22 financial year, we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help.Many providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance should individuals’ finances be affected in the academic year 2021/22. The government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to be provided to support vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes. Advice is available from HE providers and from other sources online to help students manage their money while they are attending their courses.

Graduates: Databases

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data has in the formulation of policy at his Department.

Michelle Donelan: The longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) data is a valuable data resource that has been developed by joining data from across government to help the government understand routes through the education system and into employment. It sits alongside other important government data to improve the information available to prospective students to help them make informed choices that consider a range of factors, including future employment and earnings.The Office for Students uses course continuation and completion rates and progression to managerial or professional employment, or further study, when assessing compliance with registration conditions on quality, and may also make use of LEO data to understand where graduates are achieving above average earnings.The department is making LEO data available to UK Statistics Authority accredited researchers through the Office for National Statistics’ Secure Research Service. This will enable more high-quality research into this powerful dataset, which will be shared with the department and the wider public. These findings will further inform policy development in the department and in educational settings across the country.

Student Opportunity Fund

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he is having with relevant stakeholders on changes to the Student Opportunities Fund.

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will conduct a Government consultation before making changes to the Student Opportunities Fund.

Michelle Donelan: The Student Opportunity Fund no longer exists. It used to be allocated to higher education providers by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), who also published associated guidance.HEFCE closed on 1 April 2018 and was replaced by UK Research and Innovation, and the Office for Students (OfS).The government issues guidance on its priorities for expenditure to the OfS through the Strategic Priorities Grant letters which are published at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/guidance-from-government/. These letters include guidance on supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds.To support students most at risk of dropping out, the government provides additional formula-based funding for providers through the student premium (part of the Strategic Priorities Grant). As of July 2021, the OfS has allocated student premium funding totalling £273 million to providers for the 2021-22 academic year.

Universities Superannuation Scheme

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government provides a crown guarantee to the Universities Superannuation Scheme via the Office for Students.

Michelle Donelan: The Department for Education agreed to guarantee liabilities due to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) built up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England prior to its cessation in 2018. The department also agreed to guarantee future liabilities due to the USS built up by the Office for Students (OfS), in the event that there is winding up of the OfS or its successor body if no other body assumes the OfS’ functions.The department’s liability in acting as guarantor for the USS was originally valued at £5 million, as recorded in the remote contingent liabilities section of the Department for Education’s 2017/18 financial year annual report and accounts. The liability valuation has remained at £5 million for all subsequent years, as shown in the department’s annual reports and accounts: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports.

Higher Education: Standards

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Participation of Local Areas metric for improving access and participation in higher education.

Michelle Donelan: The Participation of Local Areas (POLAR) classification groups small areas across the United Kingdom into quintiles based on the proportion of young people who participate in higher education (HE). The most disadvantaged classification group, quintile one, has the lowest rate of participation in HE and quintile five has the highest rate.POLAR is a measure of educational disadvantage and has value in identifying areas of low participation in HE. The Office for Students (OfS) encourages providers to use POLAR in their access and participation activities more broadly to assess inequalities and to set their own targets.Where providers have clear evidence that POLAR does not reliably reflect disadvantage in their specific location or context, they may use an alternative measure of disadvantage. Additionally, the OfS have developed the association between characteristics of students’ dataset and analysis, which providers can use to identify and target disadvantaged and underrepresented groups within HE.Information on POLAR is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/young-participation-by-area/.

Higher Education: Regulation

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to regulate alternative higher education providers.

Michelle Donelan: All registered higher education providers in England are regulated by the Office for Students (OfS) under powers in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (HERA). Alternative providers were formerly regulated by the department until the introduction of the OfS register under the HERA. All English higher education providers are now required to be registered by the OfS if they want their students to be able to access tuition fee and maintenance loans. The term ‘alternative higher education providers’ is therefore no longer in use.

Higher Education: Fines

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role he will have in the decisions of the Office for Students to fine institutions if they fall below the threshold for continuation, progression or employment rate published in the new Office for Student's consultation on student outcomes.

Michelle Donelan: The government is clear that the Office for Students (OfS) should not hesitate to use its regulatory powers where it decides that a breach of the proposed student outcomes quality registration condition has occurred. All students, regardless of their background, have the right to a high-quality education. Any decision to impose a monetary penalty is entirely a matter for the OfS, which was established under the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA) 2017 as the independent regulator of higher education in England. HERA requires the OfS to be cognisant of the need to act proportionately and to promote equality of opportunity. As set out in its consultation document of 20 January 2022, the OfS’ proposal will consider wider factors affecting a provider’s performance, including student characteristics where appropriate, before making a final decision to take regulatory action in relation to student outcomes. The power for the OfS to impose monetary penalties is set out in section 15 and Schedule 3 of HERA and in associated regulations, available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1026/made/data.pdf.

Office for Students: Public Appointments

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role he had in the appointment of the interim chief executive of the Office for Students.

Michelle Donelan: The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 gives the Secretary of State for Education the power to appoint the Chief Executive of the Office for Students.The interim appointment of Susan Lapworth as the Chief Executive was made under these powers. We will be opening the competition to recruit a permanent Chief Executive shortly.

Students: Finance

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the timescale of student maintenance payments on the financial security of students.

Michelle Donelan: Loans for living costs are paid to students in three equal instalments at the start of each term to help students manage their money throughout the academic year. A student finance calculator is available to help individual students estimate the amount of support they will be entitled to for an academic year. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator. Further advice is available from providers and other sources online to help students manage their money while they are attending their courses.Maximum loans have been increased by 3.1% for the current academic year, 2021/22, with a further 2.3% increase announced for the 2022/23 academic year.Many providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance should they get into financial difficulty. Our grant funding to the Office for Students for the current financial year includes an allocation of £5 million to higher education providers in England in order to provide additional support for student hardship. This is to mitigate hardship due to the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market which particularly affect, for example, students relying on work to fund their studies.

Higher Education: Registration

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to relax the Office for Students’ registration requirements.

Michelle Donelan: The Office for Students (OfS) as the independent regulator of higher education in England sets conditions of registration for entry onto its register. All English higher education providers are required to be registered by the OfS if they want their students to be able to access tuition fees and maintenance loans.As outlined in the recent consultation on its strategy for 2022 to 2025, the OfS is exploring ways to support new entrants to the sector by reviewing its approach to granting registration and degree awarding powers. This will include looking at the resources available to prospective providers and considering whether new categories of registration would be helpful, without lowering the world leading quality and standards of English higher education.

Department for Education: Disclosure of Information

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has issued any non-disclosure agreements to third-party contractors since February 2020.

Michelle Donelan: The department has not issued any non-disclosure agreements to contractors recruited as contingent labour workers.The contract for a ‘third-party contractor’ sits between the worker and the supplier, Public Sector Resourcing, not with the Department for Education.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Ombudsman

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the legal ombudsman in the system of complaint procedure.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Justice sponsors the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), the arrangements for which, including monitoring the performance of the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) scheme, are set out in a framework document.In its recent business plan consultation, the OLC acknowledges that performance has been below expectations and identified new approaches to drive improvements. These include identifying opportunities within the OLC to speed up the complaints process, increasing the early resolution of cases through early negotiation, and using technology to free up manual intervention into initial customer enquiries. Senior officials from the MoJ are in regular contact with the OLC and senior staff at LeO as they seek to improve performance.

Prisons: Health Services

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of first aid and medical cover provision across the prison estate.

James Cartlidge: First aid cover for all staff in the Prison Estate is provided by trained first aiders, and the number of those required in each establishment is achieved via a First Aid Risk Assessment of need. Staff have a duty of care for prisoners. Prisoners also receive first aid/medical cover through on-site healthcare teams or local hospitals when required.Responsibility for health services rests in statute with the National Health Service, NHS England and NHS Improvement for Prisons in England and the Welsh Government for Prisons in Wales, who are directly accountable for provision equitable to that provided in the community, and subject to the same independent inspectorate and parliamentary scrutiny as other NHS services including through joint inspection with HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Reparation by Offenders

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the (a) nature and (b) impact on victims of crime of restorative justice in the context of the Victims' Bill consultation.

Tom Pursglove: Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime all victims must be told about the option of restorative justice and how to access it. We have just consulted on how we can enshrine the Victims’ Code in legislation, to send a clear signal about what victims can and should expect from the criminal justice system. We also provide grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners for victims’ support services, including restorative justice. In 2021/22, we are providing c£115m of grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners for victims’ support services, including restorative justice. We will further bolster support for victims of crime, by increasing MoJ funding for victim and witness support services to £185 million by 2024-25. PCCs are required to report to the Ministry of Justice every six months on the delivery of the funding, which we monitor closely. The National Probation Service is developing a new framework for restorative justice to ensure a more consistent approach, focusing on the people for whom it will make the biggest difference. I am carefully considering the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice’s report and will respond in due course.

Reparation by Offenders

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason restorative justice is not included in the Victims Bill consultation.

Tom Pursglove: We have just consulted on how we can enshrine the Victims’ Code in legislation through the Victims’ Bill, to send a clear signal about what victims can and should expect from the criminal justice system. Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime all victims must be told about the option of Restorative Justice and how to access it. In 2021/22, we are providing c£115m of grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners for victims’ support services, including Restorative Justice.  We will further bolster support for victims of crime, by increasing MoJ funding for victim and witness support services to £185 million by 2024-25.

Human Rights Act 1998

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect, including any retrospective effect, of proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act on the existing legal framework regarding human rights law; and whether he has conducted an impact assessment on that matter.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his planned reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 will ensure that references to religion in legislation and guidance will be interpreted as religion or belief.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of his planned reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on delivering equality under the law to humanists, atheists, and other non-religious people.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he had made of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgments in A (Surrogacy: s.54 Criteria) [2020] EWHC 1426 and X (Parental Order: Death of Intended Parent Prior to Birth) [2020] EWFC 39, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act on existing human rights protections.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Hand v George [2017] EWHC 533, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the entitlement of adoptive children to equal inheritance rights in wills made before 1976.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Blackburn (t/a Cornish Moorland Honey) v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2013] UKFTT 525, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act on the protection offered to persons with a religious conviction against the use of electronic communication.

James Cartlidge: In December, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the Government is consulting on proposals to overhaul and replace the Human Rights Act (HRA) with a Bill of Rights. The consultation process is ongoing and we are carefully considering the impact of proposed policies on the legislative framework and legal systems of each devolved nation within the UK. Engagement with stakeholders, including in the devolved administrations, is underway and roundtable events with religious, humanist and secularist groups are planned. In line with our manifesto commitment, we want to ensure there is a proper balance between the rights of individuals, our national security and effective government.

Prison Officers: Retirement

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department made of the role of a prison officer prior to raising the retirement age to 68.

Victoria Atkins: We value our hardworking prison staff and offer access to medical professionals and an employee assistance programme to ensure continued physical and mental wellbeing.The policy and rules that set the pension age for Prison Officers under the Civil Service Pension Scheme is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office and responsibility is not devolved down to HMPPS.I meet the Prison Officer’s Association and other Trade Unions to discuss a range of issues, including pension age. I will be meeting with them again to discuss this issue further and remain aware of the position.

Criminal Proceedings: Legal Aid Scheme

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was spent from the public purse on criminal legal aid in each of the last 10 years.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme in each of the last 10 years.

James Cartlidge: The amount spent from the public purse by the Secretary of State for Justice on Criminal Legal Aid and on the Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme in the last 10 years is set out in the table below. However, it should be noted that figures are not final and may increase. This is because cases are billed by legal representatives at the conclusion of the case. Some cases which commenced in previous years, and in particular in the last financial year, may still be ongoing and therefore no final claim will have been submitted for payment.Table 1: Criminal Legal Aid Expenditure (£m) RDEL1 - nominal terms2RDEL1 - real terms2 (2020/21 prices4)Closed-claim measure of expenditure 3 – nominal terms 2Financial YearCriminal Legal AidCriminal Legal AidAll Criminal Legal AidAdvocate graduated fee scheme2011-121,1151,3741,0722202012-139951,2011,0262412013-149671,1469852272014-158891,0399352132015-168619999062272016-178639778912272017-188919928952192018-198799558982192019-208649188412082020-215995995751311 RDEL (Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit) is current expenditure from within the annual Departmental Expenditure Limits that are set by the Treasury for each government department and is used in the MoJ and LAA Annual Report & Accounts. It aims to measure the value of all work carried out in each period, regardless of whether it is on cases that have finished. RDEL excludes AME (hence so do the budgeting measures shown in the table). AME (Annually-Managed Expenditure) broadly covers unpredictable or uncontrollable expenditure. In legal aid terms this is work in progress where the payment date is unknown. It can be negative for individual years.2 'Nominal terms' means not adjusted for inflation; 'real terms' means adjusted for inflation to make expenditure for previous years directly comparable with that for the latest (or other specified) year.3 The closed-claim measure of expenditure shows the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed in each period, even where a portion of the work may have taken place over previous periods. This figure can be broken down by the different legal aid schemes.4 Based on the deflator series published by the ONS June 2021.Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-july-to-september-2021.

Treasury

Energy: Tax Allowances

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether energy companies which are granted future oil and gas and licences will be eligible for tax reliefs for (a) exploration and production and (b) decommissioning costs; and what estimate his Department has made of the costs to the Exchequer of any such tax reliefs.

Helen Whately: HMRC publish estimates for the Exchequer cost of tax reliefs in recent years. The latest estimate, published in December 2021, can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-relief-statistics. HMRC also publish an estimate of future Exchequer costs arising due to decommissioning in their Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent estimate is in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2020 to 2021 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021. This estimate is based on a range, provided by the Oil and Gas Authority, for expected decommissioning costs for oil and gas infrastructure in the UK Continental Shelf over the remaining life of the North Sea basin. All taxes are kept under review and any changes are considered and announced by the Chancellor.

Energy Bill Discount Scheme

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how much a single household of two people will receive from the Energy Bill Discount Scheme in 2022-23; and if that household subsequently split into two households of one person each from financial year 2023-24, how much they would each pay in (a) 2023-24 and (b) each subsequent year via the standing charge.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a person under the age of 18 who received the Energy Bill Discount Scheme in 2022-23 as part of their family household would be eligible to pay back that loan in the event that that person moved into their own individual household from financial year 2023-24 onward.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how much a single household of one person will receive from the Energy Bill Discount Scheme in in 2022-23; and if that household subsequently added another person from financial year 2023-24 onward, how much they would be paying in that year and each subsequent year via the increase in standing charge.

Helen Whately: All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills. All domestic energy consumers will pay a charge in future years. This will be reflected by Ofgem in the price cap for future years, and sufficient notice will be given to suppliers to price it into fixed and other tariffs. We expect households will pay this back from 2023 – when energy prices are expected to be lower - through an increase to standing charges on their bills of around £40 per annum over five years. However to be clear, this is not a loan to either suppliers or households. There will be cases where changes in people’s personal circumstances mean they may not directly be the recipient of the reduction, but still pay charges in future bills, or vice versa. This approach is fiscally responsible while also helping customers manage the unprecedented increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs of global prices over time. The policy will provide a significant reduction to bills this year whilst gas prices are at historic highs.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is for how the proposals to reform alcohol taxation will support improved public health, in the context of the comparative number of units of alcohol in a (a) four per cent ABV pint of beer or cider and (b) a Scotch Whisky highball or in a gin and tonic.

Helen Whately: The Government intends to move to a new progressive system of duty that taxes all products in reference to the litres of pure alcohol they contain, with products with higher concentration of alcohol paying a higher rate of duty per unit. As part of this approach, the Government is cutting duty on lower ABV spirits-based drinks, such as pre-packaged gin and tonics. The Government received evidence supporting this approach during its call for evidence held in 2020. As set out in the summary of responses published in October 2021, public health groups cited the correlation between cheap, high strength spirits (such as vodka) and alcohol-related harms, as the volume of drink needed to reach intoxication is smaller with higher strength drinks. The Government has a responsibility to address these concerns.

Treasury: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Helen Whately: HM Treasury is committed to ensuring that we access the very best scientific expertise. The Director for the Enterprise and Growth Unit, who is responsible for public science funding, acts as HM Treasury’s Chief Scientific Adviser and meets with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly. The Chancellor of the Exchequer also meets with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Chief Medical Officer when necessary.

Energy: Rebates

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to provide further details of the energy bill rebate; whether energy customers will be able to opt out of taking the rebate; whether people that opt out will have to pay the additional £40 per annum charge; whether bills for those that are not currently customers will include the additional £40 per annum charge; and in what way customers who pay energy bills with their rent will (a) receive the rebate and (b) repay it.

Helen Whately: All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills. The Government will recoup the costs of the £200 reduction in full, from domestic energy suppliers over the next five years. We expect this will be reflected by energy suppliers as an increase in standing charges on electricity bills of around £40 per annum. If the number of domestic electricity meter grows, it is likely that the amount paid back by each household will be slightly lower.

Energy: Rebates

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the energy rebate announced on 3 February 2022, what steps he plans to take to enable customers to reject the rebate prior to payment or return the rebate if paid to them automatically.

Helen Whately: All domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in their electricity costs from this October. This will be delivered via energy suppliers and will be clearly identifiable as a line item on electricity bills.

Air Passenger Duty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing Air Passenger Duty as a way to support the aviation industry following the covid-19 pandemic.

Helen Whately: The Government has provided unprecedented support to the aviation and aerospace sectors throughout Covid-19, with over £12 billion made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility and grants for research and development. The renewed Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS) that the Chancellor announced at the Autumn 2021 Budget provides eligible businesses with support for their fixed costs for a further six months, up to the equivalent of their business rates liabilities for the second half of the 2021-22 financial year, subject to certain conditions and a cap per claimant of £4 million. Ultimately the best way to support aviation and the wider travel sector is through the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel. The success of the UK’s vaccine and booster rollout means that the Government has been able to reduce the number of travel restrictions, ensuring there is a more proportionate system in place for passengers and businesses. As APD is a per passenger tax, airlines’ liabilities significantly reduced in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, with receipts between 2020-21 down 84% compared to the previous financial year.

Offshore Industry: Taxation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a windfall tax on oil and gas producers to help fund a package of support for households struggling with the cost of energy bills.

Helen Whately: The UK Government places additional taxes on the extraction of oil and gas, with companies engaged in the production of oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf subject to headline tax rates on their profits that are currently more than double those paid by other businesses. To date, the sector has paid more than £375 billion in production taxes. The Government understands that people are concerned about pressures on household budgets and has been clear that protecting consumers is its top priority. The Chancellor announced a generous package of support on 3 February 2022, with a £150 council tax non-repayable rebate from April and a further reduction of £200 on energy bills in October. The £200 reduction in households’ energy bills from October will help customers manage the unprecedented increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs caused by high global gas prices over time, so they are more manageable for households. All taxes are kept under review.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing beer duty and alcohol duty to help support pubs.

Helen Whately: As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the duty rates on alcohol including beer will be frozen for another year. This is expected to save consumers £3 billion over the coming years and will save beer drinkers in particular £900 million. As a result of cuts and freezes since ending the beer duty escalator in 2013, beer duty is now at its lowest level in real terms since the 1990s. The Government has also announced it will reduce the duty on draught beer by 5% as part of alcohol duty reforms – cutting the duty on a pint of beer served in a pub by 3p. The Government keeps all taxes under review and any announcements will be made at the next fiscal event.

Public Houses: Non-domestic Rates

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a reformed business rate for pubs that is equitable to other small businesses.

Helen Whately: The government is providing a new temporary relief worth almost £1.7 billion for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, resulting in over 90% of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses receiving at least a 50% reduction in their business rates bills in 2022-23. We have already provided £16bn in support through the business rates system for Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure businesses during the pandemic – an unprecedented level of support for the high street. Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property with a rateable value below the threshold of £15,000.

Energy: Prices

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to put in place for people who are (a) experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the rise in energy bills and (b) residing in properties with a council tax band of D or above.

Helen Whately: The Government is providing significant financial support – up to £350 – to the majority of households. Households in England residing in properties in bands A-D will receive the £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate. Local authorities will also receive £144m to provide targeted support to lower income households in bands E-H and those exempt from council tax. Domestic electricity customers in Great Britain will also receive a £200 cash rebate on their electricity costs this October, paid back automatically over the next 5 years, spreading the increased costs of global prices over time in a way that is more manageable for households. This is alongside the wider support available, such as the Warm Home Discount, the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is making an assessment of the potential merits of equalising the duty between spirits and other alcohol categories.

Helen Whately: As part of our alcohol duty review, the Government intends to move to a system where all products are taxed in reference to the litres of pure alcohol they contain. Above 8.5% ABV there is to be no differentiation between product categories, providing a more level playing field between spirits and other products. This will end the position where higher strength wines and beers pay less duty per unit than spirits.

Energy Bill Discount Scheme

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy that the Energy Bills Rebate will be repaid by people who did not receive the rebate; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: International wholesale prices have meant that households will face significant increases in energy bills next year. This £200 reduction will make it more manageable for people's household budgets whilst supporting as many people as we can. There will be cases where changes in people’s personal circumstances at the time mean they may not directly be the recipient of the reduction, but still see increases in future bills. The government will look at these issues further through a public consultation run by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the spring, but to spread the cost of the reduction as widely as possible, all domestic energy consumers are expected to contribute to future repayments.

Leisure: Coronavirus

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to those in the events, leisure, hospitality and sports sector who have been impacted by the omicron variant but do not qualify for existing support as they do not operate from rateable business premises.

Helen Whately: Businesses which do not operate from a rate-paying premises have always been eligible for the £2.1 billion Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).In December 2021, over £100 million of additional ARG funding was made available to support businesses impacted by the Omicron variant. This was on top of the £250 million left over from previous allocations, meaning local authorities had over £350 million of discretionary grants to support businesses with.As of 30 January, there remained £294 million of ARG yet to be disbursed to businesses. The Business Secretary has already written to those local authorities instructing them to disburse their remaining funding. And we encourage Local Authorities to distribute this funding to those businesses affected by the Omicron variant, and this includes those in the Events, Leisure, Hospitality, and Sports Sector.We urge those qualifying businesses to apply for these generous grant schemes which are available until the end of March 2022.

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Government has to extend eligibility for theOmicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant to allow unclaimed funds to be claimed by affected businesses that do not operate from rateable business premises.

Helen Whately: As a result of the Omicron variant, hospitality and leisure businesses saw significant numbers of cancellations and reduced footfall throughout their peak trading period around Christmas. The aim of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) is to support businesses offering in-person services, where social mixing is the primary motivation for their customers.However, the Government recognises that some businesses impacted by the Omicron variant will fall outside of the scope of the OHLG. That is why government has made £2.1 billion of discretionary grant funding available to them through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). As of 30 January, there remains £294 million yet to be paid out to businesses and we encourage those impacted by Omicron to contact their local authority.Both the OHLG and the ARG are available until the end of March 2022.

Business: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish a breakdown of the £4.3 billion in fraudulent claims to coronavirus support schemes, by type of support scheme.

John Glen: No amount of error and fraud is acceptable, however, not all money lost to error and fraud will be recoverable. HMRC have said from the outset of the schemes that we would not be actively seeking out people who have made an honest mistake. Although of course if an error is identified, then HMRC will work with the claimant to put it right. HMRC are also taking tough action to tackle fraudulent behaviour. Anyone who keeps grant money despite knowing they were not entitled to it, faces having to repay up to double the amount they received, plus interest and potentially criminal prosecution. HMRC did not produce and do not recognise the figure of £4.3bn. HMRC’s latest estimate for the amount lost to both error and fraud in the schemes during 2020 to 2021 is 8.7% in CJRS, 2.5% in SEISS phases 1-3 and 8.5% in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. These estimates do not represent actual amounts lost. This is HMRC’s current estimate of amounts potentially lost due to error or fraud during 2020/21 only, and these estimates will be updated as more data becomes available with the 2021/22 figures being finalised and released with the Annual Report and Accounts in the summer. HMRC intend to publish updated E&F estimates for CJRS and SEISS in HMRC’s 2022 Annual Report and Accounts. HMRC established the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce and is estimated to recover approximately £800m to £1bn in the two years to 2022/23, on top of the c.£500m recovered in 2020/21. HMRC will continue to address fraud and error in the schemes beyond the duration of the taskforce.

Business: Coronavirus

John McNally: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to recoup monies lost to fraud in the coronavirus grant schemes.

John Glen: The Government has consistently stated that fraud is totally unacceptable. We are taking action on multiple fronts to recover money lost to error and fraud and, where necessary, taking legal action against those who have sought to exploit our schemes. The Government takes the issue of potential fraud relating to covid support schemes extremely seriously. Robust measures were put in place to control error and fraud in the key covid support schemes from their inception. For instance, to minimise the risk of fraud and error and unverified claims, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) were designed in a way to prevent ineligible claims being made up front, and made payments for employees and businesses using existing data held on HMRC’s systems. That included cut-off dates around scheme eligibility and the need for customers to be registered for pay-as-you-earn online or self-assessment. To further bolster anti-fraud measures, at the Spring Budget last year, the Government invested more than £100 million in a Taxpayer Protection Taskforce of more than 1,200 HMRC staff to combat Covid-related fraud. This Taskforce is expected to recover between £800 million and £1 billion from fraudulent or incorrect payments during 2021-22 and 2022-23. In addition, HMRC has so far stopped or recovered £743 million of overclaimed grants in 2020/21. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring the safe administration of Covid support grants to businesses and that appropriate measures are put in place to mitigate against the increased risks of both fraud and payment error. Guidance for the grant schemes requires that local authorities have assurance plans in place which set out the steps they would take to minimise fraud. Government has mandated pre-payment checks (company and bank account searches) as well as post-event assurance, and a Fraud Risk Assessment, as standard elements of this plan. Where grants have been paid in error, non-compliantly or to a fraudster, local authorities must seek to recover these funds and return them to BEIS. If local authorities have been unable to reclaim the grant, the case may be referred to BEIS under the Debt Recovery Policy to establish the next steps. Local Authorities are required to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable and practicable steps to reclaim incorrectly paid grant funds. 93 cases are currently being triaged and debts assigned to BEIS for referral to Indesser, a Cabinet Office procured debt recovery service, to action.

Business: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the names and businesses of all claims to coronavirus support schemes which have proven to be fraudulent.

John Glen: The Government has consistently stated that fraud is totally unacceptable. We are taking action on multiple fronts to recover money lost to error and fraud and, where necessary, taking legal action on those who have sought to exploit our schemes. Where individuals are subject to prosecution as a result of fraudulently accessing the COVID-19 support schemes, the verdicts and sentencing in criminal cases are a matter of public record. It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing investigations.

Debts: Developing Countries

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the need for legislation to make holders of lower-income country sovereign debt governed by English law participate in debt restructurings, including those agreed through the G20 Common Framework.

John Glen: To deliver a long-term, sustainable approach to dealing with debt vulnerabilities, the UK, along with the G20 and the Paris Club, has agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI. Private sector participation on at least as favourable terms as bilateral creditors is a fundamental principle of the Common Framework. We are fully focussed on implementing the Common Framework for those who have requested it and ensuring that the private sector plays its part in any debt treatments under the Framework. At this stage, the government is not pursuing a legislative approach that would force private creditors to participate in debt restructurings. Any legislative approach would need to address a number of challenges, such as ensuring legislation does not reduce access to and the cost of finance for low-income countries to meet wider development goals.

Sudan: Debts

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the impact on Sudan of Sudanese national debt; and what steps he is taking to provide debt relief to that country.

John Glen: Sudan reached a historic milestone in June 2021 by meeting the necessary conditions to begin receiving debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Completion of this process would allow Sudan to regain debt sustainability. As part of this process, the international community, led by the UK as G7 Presidency, provided funding to clear Sudan’s long-standing debt arrears to the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank, totalling USD$ 2.9 billion. Under the HIPC initiative, the Paris Club, of which the UK is a member, reached an agreement with Sudan in July 2021 to restructure its public external debt. Paris Club members agreed to cancel USD$14 billion of historic debt, while indicating readiness to cancel the remaining USD$9 billion after successful completion of an IMF Programme for a further three years. The military coup of 25 October 2021 has however put debt relief for Sudan at risk. We note with strong concern political developments since the coup, which have derailed the transition and threaten the ongoing implementation of Sudan’s IMF programme, which is one of the pre-conditions for debt relief from the Paris Club. In this context, before moving forward with the implementation of the agreement signed with Sudan in July 2021, the Paris Club will carefully monitor the evolution of the situation, in close coordination with the IMF and the World Bank Group. The UK is supporting and encouraging all parties to engage with the UN-facilitated political process to put the transition back on track.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Jerusalem: Palestinians

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2022 to Question 107537 on Jerusalem: Palestinians; what response she received from the Government of Israel to her representation urging them to stop the practices of demolitions and evictions of Palestinian homes; whether she is monitoring the extent to which the Government of Israel has stopped these practices since her representation; and if she will make a statement.

Amanda Milling: The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. On 19 January, Minister Cleverly urged the Government of Israel to stop these practices. The UK raises the issue of demolitions, confiscations and forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes with the Government of Israel, most recently with Israel's Ministry of Defence on 20 January and Ministry of Justice on 27 January.

Myanmar: Coronavirus

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions officials in her Department (a) have had and (b) plan to have with relevant stakeholders on the distribution of covid-19 vaccines through local civil society organisations in Myanmar.

Amanda Milling: We are deeply concerned about the impact of Covid on Myanmar's population. The UK has adapted our aid programmes to deliver an immediate response and longer-term recovery to boost resilience.The UK is providing £11 million for the Covid-19 and broader health response in Myanmar this year, which is now being delivered through the UN, civil society and ethnic health organisations. The UK-funded COVAX facility, administered by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) partnership, has allocated 22.2 million Covid doses to Myanmar. We are working with GAVI to ensure that the people of Myanmar have access to the allocation of Covid-19 vaccinations through COVAX.We are working closely with other donors, including other civil society organisations, to find equitable, safe and unhindered delivery of Covid vaccines.

France: Undocumented Migrants

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress she has made on discussions with her French counterpart on stopping illegal crossings of the English Channel by migrants.

James Cleverly: The UK and France agree on the need to cooperate closely to stop people traffickers. Working together we stopped over 23,000 illegal migration attempts in 2021. The Foreign Secretary underlined the need for a practical and pragmatic approach to migration with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting in December. The Prime Minister has discussed his commitment to work with France on the shared challenge of illegal migration in the Channel with President Macron, most recently on 5 February.

Chechnya: LGBT People

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of LGBT rights in Chechnya.

James Cleverly: The UK Government has raised the issue of LGBT rights repeatedly with the Russian Government and made clear that Russia must abide by its international human rights obligations.

Ukraine: Humanitarian Situation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine; and what recent steps she has taken to provide humanitarian assistance to that country.

James Cleverly: As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, a war in Ukraine would be disastrous for the Ukrainian and Russian people, and for European Security. Diplomacy and dialogue is the only way out of the current situation. The UK is one of the largest humanitarian and development donors globally. On 2 February, we launched the UK-led multi-donor Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, which aims to help improve delivery of public services, and increase economic opportunities and energy efficiency for citizens in the conflict-affected communities of Ukraine's eastern and southern regions. We continue to work closely with our allies and partners and stand ready to provide further assistance as needed.

Pakistan: Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of Pakistan's progress in meeting goal 16.2 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

James Cleverly: Pakistan has taken many significant steps to tackle abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The National Child Labour Survey, establishment of Pakistan's first Child Protection Institute, the setting of 18 as a minimum age for domestic employment in the Islamabad Capital Territory, and promulgation of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act 2019 for the speedy recovery of kidnapped children, are steps in the right direction. However, serious challenges remain. Child labour - common in the textile, agricultural and waste sectors - remains prevalent. The UK also remains concerned about cases of child rape, violence and forced marriage. In order to end these harmful practices, the FCDO-funded Aawaz II programme advocates for legislation on child marriage, and supports Pakistan in its efforts to reform child rights legislation, and to establish child protection referral and case management systems.

Russia: Ukraine

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to never recognise Russian sovereignty over Crimea.

James Cleverly: The UK does not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia. We continue to make it clear to Moscow that Crimea is, and will remain, part of Ukraine.

Russia: LGBT People

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of LGBT rights in Russia.

James Cleverly: The UK Government has raised the issue of LGBT rights repeatedly with the Russian Government and made clear that Russia must abide by its international human rights obligations.

Pakistan: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the steps being taking by the Government of Pakistan to legislate to ban forced conversions and forced marriages of Christian and Hindu girls and women.

James Cleverly: The UK strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. We regularly raise the issue of freedom of religion or belief and women and girls' rights at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June 2021, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister of State for South Asia, met Prime Minister Khan, as well as other senior government ministers, and discussed our concerns. He met interfaith leaders to understand the situation of Pakistani minorities, particularly the issue of forced conversion and marriage. Most recently, Lord Ahmad discussed the need to promote respect for all religions with Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, on 28 November 2021.

Pakistan: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the APPG for Pakistani Minorities Inquiry Report, published on 25 November 2021, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recommendation 6 of that report on the design of aid programmes.

James Cleverly: The UK Government welcomes the publication of the All Party Parliamentary Group's report. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, spoke at the launch event. The UK condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan. The FCDO funds programmes that with work with some of the poorest and most marginalised to improve access to services, civic participation and rights awareness. The Aawaz II programme operates in 22 districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These districts were selected using a Vulnerability Index based on latest data, considering the needs of and risks facing vulnerable groups. Local forums established under the programme in all 22 districts include representation of women and girls, religious minorities, transgender, and persons with disabilities. The UK Government has also supported the Government of Pakistan in setting up eight child courts to provide child-sensitive justice to children who come in contact with the law, including victims of child abuse, trafficking and child marriage.

Afghanistan: Nowzad

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the evacuation of Nowzad cost the Government in expenditure of time and money.

James Cleverly: The FCDO was not involved in the evacuation from Kabul by private charter flight of Nowzad's animals. After the end of Operation Pitting, FCDO officials provided some support to the departure of Nowzad staff from Afghanistan for the UK via Pakistan.

Egypt: Political Prisoners

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of political prisoners being held in Egypt.

James Cleverly: The UK Government is aware of political prisoners in the Egyptian system and we regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities, both privately and in forums such as the UN Human Rights Council. This includes raising the implementation of the rights guaranteed by Egypt's constitution. We believe that these rights and freedoms are essential for Egypt's long-term stability and we welcome the publication of Egypt's human rights strategy.

Namibia: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the economic ties between Namibia and the UK.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the strength of economic relations between Botswana and the UK.

Vicky Ford: The Economic Partnership Agreement between the UK and the Southern African Customs Union & Mozambique (South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Mozambique), provides duty-free and quota free access to the UK market for all goods originating in most countries, and supports the expansion of those opportunities. Economic ties between the UK and Namibia and Botswana are growing, building on small but solid foundations in trade and tourism. In addition, the UK's Trade Forward Southern Africa Programme, is supporting businesses in the region to grow regional and international export trade including with the UK. More information about the UK's economic, trade and investment relationships with Southern African countries are available in the Trade and Investment Factsheets and Economic Factsheets on gov.uk

Ghana: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the strength of economic relations between Ghana and the UK.

Vicky Ford: The UK and Ghana have a strong partnership, including on economic relations. Last year we signed a Trade Partnership Agreement which covers £850 million of trade, and we have worked closely with the Ghana Revenue Authority on its efforts to raise revenues. I was pleased to meet with Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs last month to discuss how we can take forward our cooperation, and I look forward to the upcoming meeting of the UK-Ghana Business Council to deepen our investment relationship, including through a wide variety of private sector opportunities.

Trans-Dniestr

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of tensions in the Republic of Moldova between the Moldovan government and Transnistrian separatists.

James Cleverly: The UK supports a sustainable resolution of the Transnistrian conflict, with a special status for the Transnistrian region. Wendy Morton MP, former Minister for Europe and Americas, discussed Transnistria with Moldovan Prime Minister Gavrilita in London in November, and reaffirmed the UK's support for Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our Ambassador to Moldova regularly discusses developments in meetings with Moldovan President Maia Sandu and in meetings with the de facto leader of Transnistria, most recently on 7 February. The UK continues to support the efforts of the OSCE 5+2 format, the high level working group of which meets regularly in order to discuss the conflict. We note the recent appointment of a Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, enabling Chisinau and Tiraspol to each have a Chief Negotiator to discuss a range of issues directly.

Somalia: Humanitarian Situation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Somalia.

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) urgently preventstarvation in Somalia and (b) tackle the underlying drivers of climate change.

Vicky Ford: The UK is deeply concerned by the situation in Somalia. Multiple shocks, including threats from Covid-19, desert locusts and floods, have deepened Somalia's protracted climate and conflict-induced humanitarian crisis with over 7.7 million people in need of assistance and disrupted progress towards stability and economic recovery. The Federal Government of Somalia has declared a 'humanitarian emergency', with 90 percent of the country now facing severe to extreme drought.In 2020, the UK provided 2.5 million vulnerable Somalis with life-saving cash assistance (874,409), nutrition (303,938), health (453,639) and emergency WASH-Water and Sanitation (895,002). The £8 million support package for Somalia that I announced on 17 January will help to improve health and food security conditions of at least 500,000 people, and limit displacement linked to worsening drought conditions in the country. We support the Humanitarian Response Plan published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UK is working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia, the UN and international partners to support an early and rapid response.

Kazakhstan: Demonstrations

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent unrest in Kazakhstan.

James Cleverly: The Government continues to follow events in Kazakhstan closely. We greatly regretted the loss of life and injuries sustained as a result of unrest in January and condemned the violence and destruction of property that occurred. We await a full account of what led to these unprecedented events. We have taken note of President Tokayev's characterisation of what happened as an 'attempted coup' and his decision to establish an investigative commission. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State responsible for Central Asia and Human Rights, was assured by President Tokayev's Special Representative, Ambassador Kazykhan, that the work of the commission would be transparent and effective.As well as being crucial for accountability, a comprehensive understanding of events will be important to securing public support for the programme of social, economic and political reforms outlined by President Tokayev following the January events. The UK supports the aims of the reforms that President Tokayev seeks to bring about, in the context of the close ties we have developed with Kazakhstan over the 30 years since diplomatic relations were established

Uganda: Demonstrations

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of steps taken towards (a) accountability for and (b) justice for the victims of the violence against protestors and bystanders during the protests in Uganda between 18-20 November 2020.

Vicky Ford: The violent actions of some members of the security forces between 18 and 20 November 2020 have no place in any society. The UK welcomed and was encouraged by the Government of Uganda's public commitment to hold those responsible to account. But progress since has been too slow. Our High Commission in Kampala continues to regularly raise these issues with the Government of Uganda and has publicly called for a transparent and independent investigation to hold those responsible to account for their actions. The UK reiterated this call during Uganda's recent review under the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Mechanism on 15 January 2022. I was also able to raise our concerns with President Museveni and Foreign Minister Odongo during my visit to Uganda on 19 January 2022. I stressed the importance of upholding their obligations under international human rights law and respecting democratic freedoms. The UK will continue to work with all Ugandans to advocate for democratic freedoms and respect for human rights.

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of allegations of torture against Kakwenza Rukirabashaija in Uganda.

Vicky Ford: We are extremely concerned about reports of torture against Kakwenza Rukirabashaija. He was kept in detention for 12 days incommunicado without charge, despite a court ordering his unconditional release, which stands in contradiction to both Uganda's constitution and its international human rights commitments. The UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture. Torture is an abhorrent violation of human rights and human dignity, and its impact on societies and individuals is devastating. Preventing torture and tackling the impunity of those who commit torture, are essential components of safeguarding our security and a necessary part of any fair legal system and rule of law. The High Commission in Kampala has raised the case of Rukirabashaija both publicly via Twitter and privately with the Government of Uganda. In these engagements, we have underlined the importance of the rule of law to a democratic society, called for a transparent investigation and to publicly hold to account those responsible for these actions.

Uganda: Human Rights and Political Prisoners

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people (a) known to be in detention in Uganda for acts of political expression or assembly (b) in Uganda who have been reported disappeared.

Vicky Ford: All reports of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances are concerning. Estimates of those in detention for what could be 'acts of political expression or assembly' and of those reported to have disappeared vary significantly. Our High Commission in Kampala has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the treatment of the opposition and their supporters during and since the 2021 elections. I raised these concerns with President Museveni and Foreign Minister Odongo during my visit to Uganda on 19 January 2022. I stressed the importance of upholding their obligations under international human rights law and respecting democratic freedoms. The UK will continue to work with all Ugandans to advocate for democratic freedoms and respect for human rights.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the tensions between Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

James Cleverly: The UK supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) territorial integrity. Threats from within the Republika Srpska to withdraw from BiH State institutions are dangerous. We have called on those responsible to cease this destabilising and divisive rhetoric. We condemn Russian interference in the crisis, which undermines stability. The UK is committed to upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement. The UK, along with our Allies, is offering visible and practical support to BiH's territorial integrity, to maintain the Office of the High Representative, and the peace stabilisation mission (EUFOR). The Prime Minister's appointment of Sir Stuart Peach as Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, demonstrates the UK's ongoing commitment.

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to the Government of Uganda in relation to repeated restrictions on the freedoms of Robert Kyagulanyi.

Vicky Ford: The restrictions placed on Robert Kyagulanyi both before and during the January 2021 elections were very concerning. It is unacceptable that this pattern has continued post-election, including his de facto house arrest in December 2021 during a by-election. The UK has continuously called for the Government of Uganda to stop using such restrictions. I raised our concerns regarding restrictions on the opposition and civic space with President Museveni and Foreign Minister Odongo during my visit to Uganda on 19 January 2022. I stressed the importance of respecting democratic freedoms and ensuring that Uganda meets its obligations under international human rights law. Our High Commission in Kampala engages with stakeholders across the Ugandan political spectrum, including Robert Kyagulanyi, to push for democratic reform. The UK will continue to work with all Ugandans to advocate for democratic freedoms and respect for human rights.

Madagascar: Storms

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to provide support for people in Madagascar affected by Tropical Cyclone Batsirai following the impact of Tropical Storm Ana.

Vicky Ford: The UK is deeply concerned about the impact of Tropical Cyclone Batsirai, which hit South Eastern Madagascar on 5th February. Impact and needs assessments are currently underway, results are expected at the end of this week. We know 131,000 people in Madagascar were affected by Tropical Storm Ana in January.The Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) has allocated funding CHF750,000 (approx. £600,000) for both Tropical Cyclone Batsirai and Tropica Storm Ana. The Start Network has set aside nearly £420,000 to provide assistance through cash transfers, in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Batsirai. The UK is a contributor to, and champion of, these funds. In addition to these steps, ahead of these weather events we were able to share the precise data and expertise of the UK Met Office, allowing partners to prepare.The UK will continue to closely monitor the situation in Madagascar to understand if further support is needed.

Somalia: Climate Change and Famine

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) urgently scale up and prevent mass starvation and death in Somalia and (b) tackle the underlying drivers of climate change in that region.

Vicky Ford: The UK is deeply concerned by the situation in Somalia. Multiple shocks, including threats from Covid-19, desert locusts and floods, have deepened Somalia's protracted climate and conflict-induced humanitarian crisis with over 7.7 million people in need of assistance and disrupted progress towards stability and economic recovery. The Federal Government of Somalia has declared a 'humanitarian emergency', with 90 percent of the country now facing severe to extreme drought.In 2020, the UK provided 2.5 million vulnerable Somalis with life-saving cash assistance (874,409), nutrition (303,938), health (453,639) and emergency WASH-Water and Sanitation (895,002). The £8 million support package for Somalia that I announced on 17 January will help to improve health and food security conditions of at least 500,000 people, and limit displacement linked to worsening drought conditions in the country. We support the Humanitarian Response Plan published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UK is working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia, the UN and international partners to support an early and rapid response.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to engage the grassroots resistance committees in Sudan that are drafting a charter for a democratic future for that country.

Vicky Ford: We remain concerned at the political crisis in Sudan and have consistently called for a return to the democratic transition following the military coup on 25 October 2021. Inclusivity and wide representation of different views will be an essential part of any successful political settlement. We continue to advocate for this in our statements and our political engagement. With our Sudan Quad (UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US) partners we released a statement on 8 January urging all political actors to seize the opportunity of ongoing UN talks.Since the 25 October coup, staff at the British Embassy in Khartoum, the UK Special Representative to Sudan and South Sudan, and other FCDO officials, have also engaged with a range of parties, including resistance committees, to encourage dialogue and demonstrate support for the democratic transition.

Ministry of Defence

Refugees: Afghanistan

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans she has to allow Afghan refugees given Indefinite Leave to Remain under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, to join the armed forces in the UK.

James Heappey: Individuals with Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK have no immigration restrictions on their employment however, as per s.340 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 the right to enlist in the UK Armed Forces is restricted to British or Commonwealth citizens, or either sole or dual nationals of the Republic of Ireland. The only exception to this legislation is the special and unique arrangement permitting Nepalese citizens to enlist in the Brigade of Gurkhas.Afghans relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and any other migrants to the UK would be eligible to enlist in the UK Armed Forces once they had applied for and obtained British nationality.

Submarines: Decommissioning

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2022 to Question 107718 on Submarines: Decommissioning, which of the decommissioned Royal Navy submarines that are stored at Devonport Dockyard will be the second to be recycled as part of his Department’s dismantling programme.

Jeremy Quin: A demonstrator submarine is being used to define and refine the dismantling process now taking place at Rosyth dockyard. As that programme of work progresses, the outcomes will provide more certainty on the sequence of dismantling of the de-commissioned submarines based at Devonport.

Defence: Regional Planning and Development

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 176 of the Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper, what steps his Department is taking to welcome Regional Defence and Security Clusters in (a) all regions of England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland by 2023; and what proportion of the funding for those clusters will be spent on Research and Development.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is supporting industry and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in piloting a network of new Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs). Discussions are at a variety of stages of development with all regions of England, Scotland and Wales, and an initial approach has also recently been made to Northern Ireland, via Invest Northern Ireland. Following the successful launch of the first pilot in the South West of England the creation of further Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs) has been led by the individual regions. MOD has supported and facilitated this approach and deliberately not attempted to lead this activity in order to encourage regional growth without sole dependency on MOD opportunities. These clusters, which may be physical or virtual, will allow industry and government to share ideas, promoting collaboration and commercialisation. They are intended to develop innovative regional industrial capabilities to contribute to UK military capability by creating collaborative pathways for SMEs as a route into the Defence supply chain. The MOD does not plan to fund RDSCs directly but will offer access to funded competitive opportunities via the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Open Call for Innovation and Themed Competitions. Since DASA’s launch in 2016, it has agreed funding worth more than £170million for innovative ideas that could benefit Defence and Security. RDSCs will also be able to access other routes to funding supporting the regions such as the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme.In addition, RDSCs will be able to take advantage of the DASA Regional Partnerships (RP) Fund (£3.1million over four years) that aims to promote growth by targeting regional innovators. It seeks to leverage regional-based equity by mandating that 100% DASA RP funding for technology development is supported by regional investment to build the business.

Ministry of Defence: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Jeremy Quin: The Ministry of Defence draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pension Credit

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the fall in pension credit uptake.

Guy Opperman: The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February and will be available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. The estimates for financial year 2018/19 show take-up has increased, not fallen.

Pension Credit

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will publish the most recent figures on pension credit uptake.

Guy Opperman: The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February and will be available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. The estimates for financial year 2018/19 show take-up has increased, not fallen.

Pension Credit

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of pension credit uptake on levels of pensioner poverty.

Guy Opperman: The Government is committed to alleviating pensioner poverty. Latest figures show 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty, after housing costs, compared to 2009/10. The latest Pension Credit take-up statistics are due for publication on 24 February. These will cover the financial year 2019/20. Due to the sample size used to estimate Pension Credit take-up statistics, figures cannot be broken down to a constituency level. Since then, the Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit, encourage pensioners to check their eligibility, and to make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC and Age UK. Our initial internal management information suggests new claims for Pension Credit in the past twelve months to December 2021 were around 136,000, representing an increase of around 30% compared to the 12 months to December 2019 when they were around 105,000. It also suggests that we have been receiving consistently high volumes of claims over recent months, at around 3,300 per week. This management information has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but are provided here in the interests of transparency. The impact of these claim volumes on numbers of successful awards and on Pension Credit take-up will take longer to establish given the usual cycle involved in producing those statistics.

Pension Credit

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure all eligible pensioners are in receipt of pension credit.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote the uptake of pension credit.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase pension credit uptake.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, in order to receive support with council tax.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit in order to receive free NHS dental treatment.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit in order to claim help towards the cost of glasses.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit in order to claim towards the cost of travel to hospital.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, in order to receive a cold weather payment.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, as a means of qualifying for housing benefit.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, in order to receive support with mortgage interest, ground rent and service charges.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, in order to receive extra support in the form of the carer addition.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote claiming pension credit, in order to receive a free TV licence.

Guy Opperman: The Department has undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit; encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. This has included a Pension Credit media day of action in June, working with stakeholders such as the BBC, Age UK and others. We continue to use opportunities to promote Pension Credit including using proactive press activity and social media posts to reach potential recipients, their families and friends. We also engage closely with stakeholders and have set up the Pension Credit working group, made up of a diverse range of organisations with reach and expertise, and including pensioner charities, the BBC, British Telecom, Virgin Money and the Local Government Association. The group is tasked with identifying new practical initiatives that we can work on together to help increase Pension Credit take up. We have revised and expanded the Pension Credit guide on the GOV UK website to include clear information about the additional financial support available to people on Pension Credit, as well as detailing the extra amounts that can be included in an award for those who are severely disabled, or have caring responsibilities or certain housing costs. The key is ensuring pensioners have all the information they need to make a claim and that our messaging resonates with them and their families. Over the coming weeks, over 11 million pensioners in Great Britain will receive information about Pension Credit in a leaflet accompanying their annual up-rating letter. This includes prominent messaging highlighting that an award of Pension Credit can also open the door to a wide range of additional benefits – not only extra help with fuel costs, but also help with rent, council tax, certain health related costs and a free over-75 TV licence.

Social Security Benefits

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households in receipt of housing benefit who were affected by the benefit cap in 2020-21 were in receipt of (a) jobseekers allowance, (b) employment support allowance, (c) income support, (d) child tax credit or (e) another benefit.

David Rutley: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The available information on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit subject to the Benefit Cap by benefit claimed is published every three months and can be found at:Benefit cap statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Poverty: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned uprating to benefits in April 2022 on levels of absolute poverty in Newport West constituency.

David Rutley: No such assessment has been made. National Statistics on the number of individuals in absolute low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Data for Newport West constituency is unavailable due to insufficient sample size. The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions based on inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for the year to September. All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September, as happens now.

Department for Work and Pensions: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many meetings she had with her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

Maternity Allowance

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of changes since 2010 in the relative value of the standard weekly rate of Maternity Allowance compared to (a) the adult rate of the National Living Wage and (b) women's median weekly earnings.

Guy Opperman: No assessment has been made. Maternity Allowance (MA) is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely. Instead, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work for a reasonable period around the expected date of birth, to protect their own health and wellbeing and that of their baby. MA is a benefit paid by the State, which is treated as unearned income.

Pensioners: Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners are in (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty in (a) York and (b) York Central constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Guy Opperman: The overall trend in the percentage of pensioners living in poverty shows a significant fall over recent decades and, in 2019/20, there were 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty (both before and after housing costs) in the UK than in 2009/10. Data for York and York Central constituency is unavailable due to insufficient sample size.Latest statistics for the number of pensioners who are in low income in Yorkshire and the Humber and England, covering the three years to 2019/20, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020(opens in a new tab) in pensioners-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2019-20-tables data table 6.16ts (absolute low income, before and after housing costs) and 6.11ts (relative low income, before and after housing costs).

State Retirement Pensions: Uprating

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reintroduce the pension triple-lock for the 2023-24 financial year.

Guy Opperman: The Government is committed to implementing the Triple Lock in the usual way for the remainder of the Parliament. The decision to up-rate State Pensions in line with the Consumer Price Index, for 2022/23, is a one-year response to exceptional circumstances.

Pensioners: Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to prioritise support for pensioners in poverty.

Guy Opperman: The overall trend in the percentage of pensioners living in poverty shows a significant fall over recent decades and there are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty (both before and after housing costs) than in 2009/10. This country has never paid our pensioners more. This year, we will spend over £129 billion on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 raised the State Pension by 2.5% from April 2021 although CPI was 0.5% and earnings were negative. From April, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £720 more in 2022/23 than if it had been up-rated by prices since 2010. That’s a rise of over £2,300 in cash terms. In addition, around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive around £5 billion annually in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and act as a passport to other financial help, such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Cold weather payments are payable to those in receipt of Pension Credit and the warm home discount - a rebate of £140 on a customer’s energy bill - is available to those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. From 2022/23 the eligibility criteria for the warm home discount scheme will be extended to a greater number of Pension Credit customers and the payment increased to £150. Customers of State Pension age are also entitled to an annual Winter Fuel payment worth up to £300. This winter we will pay over 11m pensioners a winter fuel payment at an annual cost of £2bn which is a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.The Chancellor’s announcement on 3 February of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23, will also be available to eligible pensioners. Further support for pensioners includes free eye tests and NHS prescriptions worth around £900m every year and free bus passes worth £1bn every year.

Pensioners: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the resources needed to support pensioners in Newport West constituency with increases in the cost of living.

Guy Opperman: This country has never paid our pensioners more. This year, we will spend over £129 billion on the State Pension and benefits for pensioners in Great Britain. The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2020 raised the State Pension by 2.5% from April 2021 although CPI was 0.5% and earnings were negative. From April, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £720 more in 2022/23 than if it had been up-rated by prices since 2010. That’s a rise of over £2,300 in cash terms. In addition, around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive around £5 billion annually in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and act as a passport to other financial help, such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Cold weather payments are payable to those in receipt of Pension Credit and the warm home discount - a rebate of £140 on a customer’s energy bill - is available to those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit. From 2022/23 the eligibility criteria for the warm home discount scheme will be extended to a greater number of Pension Credit customers and the payment increased to £150. Customers of State Pension age are also entitled to an annual Winter Fuel payment worth up to £300. This winter we will pay over 11m pensioners a winter fuel payment at an annual cost of £2bn which is a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.The Chancellor’s announcement on 3 February of a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23, will also be available to eligible pensioners. Further support for pensioners includes free eye tests and NHS prescriptions worth around £900m every year and free bus passes worth £1bn every year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Companies: Monitoring

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government intends to end the practice of operator self-monitoring for water companies; which agency will take over that monitoring; and what funding will be made available for the delivery of that activity.

Rebecca Pow: In common with other industries and in line with the polluter pays principle, water companies are required to monitor their processes and emissions and report these to the Environment Agency (EA). These include monitoring effluent quality at over 3500 wastewater treatment works, monitoring of total daily flow volumes and reporting any unauthorised discharges.The Environment Act 2021 placed further monitoring duties directly on water companies to increase transparency and ensure public and regulators can better hold water companies to account. Water companies will now also be required to publish near real time information on the operation of storm overflows, monitor the water quality upstream and downstream of storm overflows, and publish data on storm overflow operation on an annual basis with the EA. By the end of 2023, all storm overflows will be monitored.The monitoring equipment and processes used by water companies are subject to scrutiny by the EA through inspection and audit and, in the case of flow measurement, by independent and accredited flow experts. These experts are commissioned by the EA to inspect sites and ensure that flow measurements are accurate to exacting quality standards. Where these checks have highlighted breaches in permit conditions, or where evidence of environmental impact is found, the EA has taken strong action resulting in successful prosecutions, including the recent cases against Southern Water and Thames Water.

Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation Project

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a business case for a Silk Stream Flood Alleviation scheme designed to protect houses located in the Silk Stream catchment area.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency is currently working with the Silk Stream project team to help them set out the options appraisal phase of the Silk Stream Flood Alleviation Scheme. This appraisal phase will identify if any options to reduce flood risk to properties are viable. An Outline Business Case will be prepared to take forward any viable options and further partnership funding will be sought.

Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation Project: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department has made available in total for the Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation project.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the results were of the cost benefit analysis undertaken on the Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation project.

Rebecca Pow: Through the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCRIP) the Silk Stream Flood Resilience Innovation Project is expected to receive approximately £6 million between now and March 2027 to investigate and deliver practical innovative actions. This project includes, for example, the testing and trialling the use of thermo-sensors to investigate and identify the surface water ingress in the foul network. Local Authorities were invited to apply outlining the innovation they proposed for this Programme. We received 79 applications that were subject to a rigorous assessment, including viability and value for money. I am delighted that this project was one of the 25 across England to be successful The project team are currently working on an Outline Business Case which they expect to present to the Environment Agency by April 2022. This will provide detailed information on the actions, costs and outcomes they expect to achieve. The Projects will be providing further evidence on the cost and benefit of individual and collective actions, to enable future choices. The aim is to demonstrate which actions can work effectively to improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion supporting future local actions and wider decision-making nationally.

Textiles: Waste

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the total amount of textile waste produced by the UK in each of the last five years.

Jo Churchill: Approximately 921,000 tonnes of used textiles are disposed of in household residual waste in the UK each year, with a further 620,000 tonnes sent for reuse and recycling. These figures do not include commercial textiles waste from brands/retailers UK operations.

Plastics: Waste

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many responses there have been to the call for evidence on commonly littered and problematic plastic items to date.

Jo Churchill: Whilst we are still counting the last few responses, we have received over 2,100 responses so far.

Plastics: Government Departments

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much single-use plastic has been used in Government buildings in 2021.

Jo Churchill: Under the Greening Government Commitments Framework published in 2021 we introduced a new target to remove consumer single-use plastic from the central Government office estate. The first report under this new framework, covering the 2021-22 financial year, is due to be published later this year, and will set out how much single-use plastic has been used.

Clothing: Taxation

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a one pence per garment levy to support better clothing collection and sorting.

Jo Churchill: The Government's Resources & Waste Strategy identified textiles as a priority for consideration for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. EPR works to ensure producers, rather than taxpayers, pay the costs of their products when they become waste – and incentivise them to cut waste and make their products more sustainable and easier to recycle. Research is underway and we will engage stakeholders on options by the end of 2022.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the fashion industry to encourage major fashion outlets to take part in voluntary initiatives including (a) the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan and (b) Textiles 2030 over the last two years.

Jo Churchill: Government worked closely with WRAP on the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) 2020 and to develop and launch the ambitious new voluntary agreement, Textiles 2030 Building on the success of SCAP, Textiles 2030 was launched in April 2021 and we are pleased that within six months 92 signatories have joined, including ASOS, Boohoo, Dunelm, John Lewis, M&S, New Look, Next, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Ted Baker and Tesco. 62% of all clothing put on the UK market is represented by Textiles 2030 members. The new initiative is underpinned by ambitious targets including halving the carbon footprint of new products by 50% and reducing the water footprint by 30%, both by 2030. Defra ministers have been proactively engaging with industry to drive participation in both SCAP (now closed) and now Textiles 2030. This included chairing a roundtable with industry in February 2021 ahead of the launch of Textiles 2030 and events to mark the 6-month celebration of Textiles 2030 and closing of SCAP in October last year. We are now working closely with Textiles 2030 to support our policy development.

Plastics: Waste

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the export of plastic waste from the UK.

Jo Churchill: Plastic waste is a commodity which is traded on a legitimate global market. The export of plastic waste is subject to strict controls set out in UK legislation. Businesses involved in the export of waste are required to take all necessary steps to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout its shipment and during its recycling. Individuals and businesses found to be exporting waste in contravention of the requirements of the legislation can face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine. The Government does, however, want to deal with more of our waste at home and that is why we have committed to banning the export of plastic waste to countries which are not members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Environment Act contains a power that will enable us to deliver on this commitment and we plan to consult by the end of this year on options to deliver the ban.

Water: National Security

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government’s strategic priorities for Ofwat, 2 February 2022, when the review of the Security and Emergency Measures Direction began; and what the timeframe is for its conclusion.

Rebecca Pow: The Security and Emergency Measures review has looked at updating the measures water and sewerage companies are required to take in the interests of national security or to mitigate the effects of a civil emergency. The review commenced in October 2019 but was paused due to Covid pressures on organisational resources. It recommenced in November 2020 and is expected to conclude at the end of February 2022, with the issue of a new direction with updated measures.

Home Office

Immigration: Afghanistan

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department (a) will take to support Afghan nationals after their six months leave to remain in the UK ends and (b) is taking to provide information, advice and support to those people in the meantime.

Damian Hinds: The Home Office has written to Afghan families advising them of the next steps to progress permanent residence in the UK. The Home Office has established a dedicated caseworking team, which is working jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. This team will contact those here in the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and those moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, to assist them to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain status. While families are being accommodated in Bridging Hotel accommodation, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is working with departments including Home Office to support people relocated to the UK through ARAP and ACRS to integrate into UK society. The Home Office are leading on supporting people in bridging accommodation, including getting people into schools, or registering with a GP for example. For the most recent update on what the Government is doing to support Afghans, please see my Dear Colleague of 23/12/21,We also have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) allocated to Bridging Hotel Accommodation.The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many places remain to be allocated under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and how many of those given protection under the scheme to date are British nationals or people living in the UK.

Damian Hinds: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.We are unable to give statistics of those in the scheme due to the continuing flow of people being welcomed. We will include this data within published resettlement statistics later in 2022.

Emergency Services: Finance

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a fair funding review of (a) fire services and (b) police services, alongside the broader local government fair funding review.

Damian Hinds: The Police Funding Formula Review is currently in progress, and we intend to introduce a new funding formula before the next General Election. The Review will include an evidence-based assessment of policing demand and the relative impact of local factors on forces. We are working closely with the policing sector and relevant experts to develop proposals, and a full public consultation will take place before any new funding arrangements are put in place. My Department is in regular contact with fire and rescue authorities to ensure we remain informed of their financial circumstances. The Government is committed to ensuring that funding allocations for Fire and Rescue Authorities are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources. We will work closely with local partners, and take stock of the challenges and opportunities they face, before consulting on any potential funding reform.

Human Trafficking

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent girls being groomed in (a) Romania and (b) elsewhere and trafficked to the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Damian Hinds: Tackling Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery remains a top priority for this government and we are committed to stamping out this abhorrent crime. Since its introduction, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, has given law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including maximum life sentences for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims.We work with a range of partners, including law enforcement agencies to raise awareness of modern slavery, this includes training interventions for frontline services that might encounter victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, ensuring operational colleagues such as Border Force can recognise the signs of modern slavery and are equipped to step in.Romania remains a crucial partner in our ambitions to tackle modern slavery globally and to reduce the number of victims, including girls trafficked to the UK for sexual exploitation. We have invested over £200,000 this financial year in a range of projects to strengthen Romanian law enforcement approaches, victim support organisations, and national strategies on trafficking.Through the Home Office Modern Slavery Fund, we are also working with Nigeria, Albania and Vietnam to prevent people falling into slavery, including girls who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Our work in Albania has provided essential reintegration support to 330 victims of trafficking and worked with over 5,000 vulnerable people to prevent exploitation from occurring. A dashboard showcasing the results achieved can be accessed at: http://endhumantrafficking.al/ and can be disaggregated by gender and age.The Government recognises there is yet more we can do to tackle this crime and bring offenders to justice. We are currently reviewing the 2014 Modern Slavery Strategy – a revised strategy will allow us to build on the progress we have made to date, adapt our approach to the evolving nature of these crimes, and continue our leadership in tackling modern slavery.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that firearms officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary will be deployed on British ferries; and what assessment her Department has made of whether that deployment would require legislative change.

Damian Hinds: The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security. Our priority remains the safety and security of our citizens. A range of measures are currently being explored to further mitigate the risk of terrorism to UK citizens, which will include fully equipping law enforcement and other emergency responders to respond effectively to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur.However, we are not able to comment on specific operational deployments.

Asylum: Employment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allow people seeking asylum the right to work in the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office already allows asylum seekers the right to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

British Nationality: Children

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to remove British Citizenship fees for children under the age of 18.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office acknowledged the Court of Appeal’s ruling of 18 February 2021 and is reviewing the child registration fee in line with its duties under Section 55. A Supreme Court hearing on a separate ground in this case took place on 23rd and 24th June 2021, with the judgement handed down on 2 February 2022. It has been important to give the Supreme Court the opportunity to give its view on the questions raised by this case before finalising the Section 55 assessment. We are now able to do so and hope to conclude the assessment shortly. We will share the results in due course. In the meantime, the fees set out in the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 continue to be charged.

Asylum: Children

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days on average it took to process claims from unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020 and (d) 2021; and how many days it is taking currently; and if she will make a statement.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what urgent steps she is taking to tackle the backlog in processing asylum claims from children.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office is unable to state what the average number of days taken to process claims unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK and how many days it took to reach a decision on claims by children seeking asylum in 2021, 2020 and 2019 as this information is not held in a reportable format and therefore cannot be published.The Home Office have established two dedicated case working Hubs for deciding children’s asylum claims which are now fully operational. The hubs have established improved focus on and greater control of children’s cases to build expertise, identify efficiencies and provide a consistency of decision making (and quicker outcomes) for our customers.We continue to work collaboratively with Local Authorities nationally on the remote interview process for Accompanied and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and young people utilising digital interviewing video capabilities to complement in person interviews.Since May 2021 we have increased Local Authority opt in for digital interviewing to 108 Local Authorities. This has helped to speed up processes, reduce delays, and by doing so the numbers of children and young people who have an outstanding claim.We are continuing to recruit additional decision-makers who will be trained to process children’s asylum claims.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for settled status from EU students are pending decision.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.The latest published information on EUSS applications received and applications concluded by nationality to 30 September 2021, can be found in tables EUSS_01 and EUSS_03 available at: EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, September 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Information on EUSS applications which relate specifically to EU nationals studying in the UK is not recorded on our case management system and is therefore not available.

Asylum

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how can a person who requires asylum support and who is unable to register their asylum claim due to delays in the asylum system can access asylum support.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office ensures asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are not left unsupported.Where there are delays in the asylum system, individuals continue to be supported under section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Asylum: Napier Barracks

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to which local authority areas the asylum seekers placed in Napier Barracks are being dispersed to.

Kevin Foster: The responsibility for locating properties the asylum seekers will move on to, is discharged through a partnership approach with local authorities (LA), involving extensive consultation about local impacts. Accommodation is offered on a no-choice basis across the United Kingdom and there are established mechanisms in place, via Migrant Help and Support Casework, if individuals have a specific, acute need to be accommodated in a particular area. We are in continuous dialogue with local authorities to encourage greater participation in the dispersal accommodation system to increase the number of areas which take part in this work.

Asylum: Mental Health Services

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding in the report entitled We want to be strong, by the British Red Cross and the VOICES Network, that for many women the asylum system is not sensitive to gender or trauma-related needs.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps in response to findings from the VOICES Network and the British Red Cross report entitled We want to be strong, that her Department is not consistently offering women the option to be interviewed by a woman for their asylum interviews.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with women who have first-hand experience of seeking asylum about (a) their experiences of the asylum system in the UK and (b) potential changes to the asylum system that would benefit women and girls.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason there is no mention of creating an asylum system that is sensitive to gender or trauma-related needs in her Department’s New Plan for Immigration.

Kevin Foster: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to the most vulnerable people in genuine need, including women, and this will not change. This government remains committed to delivering a gender-sensitive asylum system ensuring that all those who seek asylum are treated with dignity and respect.The Nationality and Borders Bill will deliver the Government’s New Plan for Immigration – the most comprehensive reform in decades, to fix the broken asylum system. The reformed asylum system will continue to strive to provide a system which is sensitive to gender and trauma-related needs, for example continuing to provide the opportunity for all those claiming asylum to be interviewed by an individual of the same gender and a trauma informed approach to actively avoid the re-traumatisation whilst an individual is in the asylum system.We are taking into account the recently received report ‘We want to be strong’, commissioned research, experiences of those seeking asylum and welcome engagement through our stakeholder networks. Engagement, including on the New Plan for Immigration, is already underway, as we build a system that is fair, but firm; which safeguards those who may be vulnerable; and protects against any unintended consequences.

Asylum: Children

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from Greater Manchester child and migrant rights organisations on children seeking asylum in the UK who are at a higher risk of criminal exploitation, self-harm and dying by suicide.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office regularly receive representations from Greater Manchester child and migrants’ rights organisations on children seeking asylum in the UK who are at a higher risk of criminal exploitation, self-harm and dying by suicide.The department most recently received a courtesy copy of an open letter dated 16 December 2021, from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) in which 25 child and migrant rights organisations wrote to us and we replied to this on the 20 January 2022.The department maintains a working relationship with GMIAU and other regional organisations through our strategic partnerships; including the Strategic Engagement Group (SEG) and National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF), who continue to work collaboratively to ensure asylum claims from children and young people remains one of our top priorities.

Asylum: Interviews

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is from when a person contacts the National Asylum Intake Unit to register an asylum claim to when they have their screening interview.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle delays in registering an asylum claim.

Kevin Foster: 1) We are increasing the size of the National Asylum Intake Unit in response to the exceptional challenges of large-scale clandestine arrivals. This additional resource will enable us to reduce the time asylum seekers wait between registering their asylum claim and conducting the screening interview. 2) Since 1 January 2020, the mean average number of days between asylum application raised date and asylum screening is 36.

Electric Scooters: Fires

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what monitoring her Department has undertaken of fires caused by e-scooters in (a) single owned properties, (b) privately owned properties of multiple occupation and (c) multiple occupation social housing properties.

Rachel Maclean: E-scooters are not one of the response categories for causes of fires in the Incident Recording System (IRS). As such the Home Office cannot currently break down the number of fires caused by e-scooters in the settings requested.

Electric Scooters: Fires

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department is providing to local authorities and housing associations on the safe storage of e-scooters, in response to recent fires.

Rachel Maclean: The Home Office has a programme to update Fire Safety Order guidance which will reflect the latest legislative and policy positions when they are published over the next year to support the regulations to implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations and the fire safety changes planned through Building Safety Bill. While existing guidance does not have information on e-scooters, as these have come into usage since they were developed, London Fire Brigade has issued some guidance through a press release on how to use and store them safety from a fire safety perspective. We will look to work this advice into updated guidance where appropriate.The advice is available here:London Fire Brigade backs TfL ban on dangerous private e-scooters on London’s transport network | London Fire Brigade (london-fire.gov.uk)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government Finance: Regional Planning and Development

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, whether he plans to increase funding for the provision of services by local government to help meet the target of improving wellbeing across all regions.

Kemi Badenoch: In total, the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 – published on 7 February – makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils, including funding for adult social care reform. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022/23 of over 4.5% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services.Local authorities know their own local priorities best and have a discretion to spend their income according to local need, including on issues relating to wellbeing.Levelling up is at the heart of the Government's agenda to build back better after the pandemic and was at the centre of the Manifesto on which the Government promised to deliver for the people of the UK. The Government is committed to ensuring that funding allocations for councils are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources. We will work closely with local partners and take stock of the challenges and opportunities they face, before consulting on any potential funding reform.

Local Government Finance

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, if his Department will reverse the real term reductions in local government funding to help meet the target of every community feeling pride in their town centre and local community.

Kemi Badenoch: In total, the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 – published on 7 February – makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils, including funding for adult social care reform. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022/23 of over 4.5% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services.Local authorities know their own local priorities best and have a discretion to spend their income according to local need, including on issues relating to pride of place.Levelling up is at the heart of the Government's agenda to build back better after the pandemic and was at the centre of the Manifesto on which the Government promised to deliver for the people of the UK. The Government is committed to ensuring that funding allocations for councils are based on an up-to-date assessment of their needs and resources. We will work closely with local partners and take stock of the challenges and opportunities they face, before consulting on any potential funding reform.

Ahmadiyya: Religious Freedom

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to promote freedom of religion or belief for Ahmadiyya Muslims in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.

Kemi Badenoch: The United Kingdom has a proud tradition of religious tolerance, within the law. The Government is committed to creating a strong and integrated society in which hatred and prejudice are not tolerated and in which all people, including the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, are free to express their religious identity and live without fear of harassment and crime because of it.We recognise the huge contribution of people of all faiths, beliefs and none, bring to public life, locally and nationally, and are committed to celebrating and promoting this.

Students: Housing

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance he is giving to local authorities on the distribution to student households of funding from the £144 million made available as discretionary funding to help households with rising energy bills.

Kemi Badenoch: My Department will provide guidance shortly to billing authorities on administering the council tax rebate scheme and the associated discretionary fund. Allocations from the discretionary fund will allow councils to support people that may need help with their energy bills but who are not eligible for the main scheme.

Housing: Students

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason he has included new build student accommodation in the target numbers for development plans.

Neil O'Brien: This Government is committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone across the country.National Planning Policy Framework states that it is important a sufficient amount and variety of land can come forward where it is needed, that the needs of groups with specific housing requirements are addressed, and that land with permission is developed without unnecessary delay. This includes students, alongside other groups, such as owner occupiers: as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, Government is clear that the planning system should contribute to increasing the number of first time buyers in all areas.

Property Development

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to (a) prioritise brown field development over the use of green field sites and (b) ensure that natural habitats and biodiversity are protected when any development commences.

Neil O'Brien: This Government strongly encourages the re-use of brownfield land. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements. We have introduced a number of planning reforms, which include: uplifting local housing need in the top 20 most populated cities, successfully requiring every local authority to publish a register of local brownfield land suitable for housing, introducing “Permission in Principle” to speed-up housing-led development on land included in brownfield registers, and revising Permitted Development and Use Class rules to help make best use of existing buildings.The NPPF is clear that the planning system should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by providing net gains where possible. Local authorities should set out in their development plans a positive strategy for the conservation of the natural environment. Planning Practice Guidance explains how to implement national policy on conserving and enhancing biodiversity, ecosystems and green infrastructure. Furthermore, the Environment Act’s new requirements for biodiversity net gain will begin commencement from 2023, meaning most types of new development will deliver improvements of 10 per cent or more for biodiversity.

Social Rented Housing: Accountability

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that social housing providers are accountable to local authorities and residents.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is committed to ensuring that social housing providers are accountable to their tenants and residents. The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper set out a range of commitments on how we will improve the experiences of social housing residents, including strengthening the transparency and accountability of social housing providersRegistered providers of social housing are formally held to account by the Regulator of Social Housing. The Government set out in the Charter for Social Housing Residents our plan to reform the regulation of social housing, creating a strong, proactive consumer regulatory regime within the Regulator of Social Housing, reviewing the formal standards against which landlords are regulated and requiring them to be transparent about their performance so they can be held to account. The new regime will include regular inspections of the largest landlords, the creation of new Tenant Satisfaction Measures against which all social landlords will need to report, and the introduction of a new Access to Information Scheme for tenants of private registered providers of social housing.We will legislate as soon as practicable to bring forward these changes.

Housing: Bath

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of purpose-built student housing on house prices in Bath.

Neil O'Brien: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of purpose-built student housing on house prices in Bath.Our National Planning Policy Framework sets out that local planning authorities should identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community. This includes, but is not limited to, students.Our planning practice guidance states that local planning authorities should plan for sufficient student accommodation, whether this consists of communal halls of residence or self-contained dwellings, and whether or not it is on campus. Encouraging more dedicated student accommodation may provide low cost housing that takes pressure off the private rented sector and increases the overall housing stock.

Secondary Education: Regional Planning and Development

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason there is not a target to raise the performance of secondary school children in the Levelling Up White Paper alongside the target for primary school children.

Neil O'Brien: The missions set out in the Levelling Up White Paper are medium term and will be used to galvanise action across government, business and civil society. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities will work with the Department for Education and other government departments to ensure that the right policies are in place to contribute to achieving the missions.The UK Government has continued to drive secondary school improvement, including by encouraging all schools in England to become part of a strong family of schools by joining a multi-academy trust. The 2021 Spending Review confirmed the Government’s commitment to level up education with an additional £4.7 billion by 2024-25 for the core schools budget in England, over and above the Spending Round 2019 (SR19) settlement for schools in 2022-23; and a new package of £1.8 billion over the SR21 period to support education recovery from the pandemic, which will nearly double the support per pupil in secondary schools.The forthcoming Schools White Paper will set out a clear vision for further improvements to the schools system, to help raise the attainment of students including those attending secondary schools.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to help safeguard tenants in the private rented sector from the risk of homelessness by bringing forward the pledge of no fault evictions in its entirety.

Eddie Hughes: The Government is committed to ending section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and bringing in a Better Deal for Renters to deliver a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. The Government’s 2019 consultation, ‘A New Deal for Renting: Resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants’ sought views on how the new system should operate. This received almost 20,000 responses, which we are carefully considering as we develop our response. We will publish a response to the consultation as well as a White Paper detailing our plans for reform of the private rented sector later this year.The White Paper and Government response to the 2019 consultation will provide further detail on repealing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, to improve security for tenants by putting an end to evictions where the landlord doesn’t have to provide a reason. At the same time, we want to ensure landlords have the tools they need to gain possession of their property when they have a valid reason to do so. This will ensure an ongoing supply of good quality PRS homes and help to mitigate the risk of increases in homelessness.We will bring forward legislation in due course and when parliamentary time allows.

Housing: Older People

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the new task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will hold its first meeting.

Eddie Hughes: As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we have now announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.This work will be taken forwards in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, with secretariat provided by officials from both departments.Further details regarding panel membership, as well as the timing and frequency of meetings will be confirmed in due course.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Eddie Hughes: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise, including from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, the Department’s own Chief Scientific Adviser, and academics and researchers. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

Service Charges

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what obligations managing agents have to refund the collection of service charges to which they are not entitled under the terms of a lease; and what recourse leaseholders have to take action against managing agents that issue invalid service charge demands.

Eddie Hughes: We believe very strongly that service charges should be transparent and communicated effectively, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong.If a landlord is not entitled to money that they have collected through the managing agent, then they are required to return the money to avoid being in breach of their statutory obligations as trustees of the fund in which they hold the leaseholders' money. Leaseholders can seek advice from the Leasehold Advisory Service and may also make an application to the First-tier Tribunal to make a determination on their liability to pay.Leaseholders also have a range of powers to use if they are concerned with the poor performance of a managing agent. They may complain directly to the managing agent, and then to the relevant Government-approved redress scheme to which a managing agent must belong. Furthermore, Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 gives the appropriate tribunal the power to appoint a manager to take over management where there has been a significant failure by a previous managing agent or landlord.The Government is committed to raising professionalism and standards amongst managing agents, protecting consumers while defending the reputation of good agents from the actions of rogue operatives. We therefore welcome the ongoing work being undertaken by the sector itself to raise professionalism and standards including on codes of practice for property agents. We will continue to work with industry on improving best practice.

Housing: Regional Planning and Development

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, whether he plans to work with and strengthen tenancy unions to help meet the target of reducing the number of non-decent homes by 50 per cent by 2030.

Eddie Hughes: We are committed to drive up standards in private rented accommodation and we will be consulting on introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard in the Private Rented Sector. We will publish a White Paper in Spring this year that will set out our proposals for reform of the private rented sector and are very happy to engage with tenancy unions.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Bullying and Harassment

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in his Department have developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of workplace bullying or harassment in each year from 2010-11.

Michael Ellis: The Cabinet Office does not hold metrics that specifically identify Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of workplace bullying or harassment. The department has not received or maintained any formal diagnosis of civil servants with PTSD.

Government Departments: Procurement

Matt Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of Government procurement is from SMEs.

Michael Ellis: The government wants small and medium sized enterprises to benefit from central government procurement spend, either directly or indirectly via the supply chain. Reports on this aspiration are published on GOV.UK on an annual basis.The latest procurement figures for 2019/20 show that £15.5bn was paid to small and medium sized businesses to help deliver vital public services. This figure is a substantial increase of £1.3bn on the previous year and the highest since records began in 2013.

Cabinet Office: Departmental Responsibilities

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the responsibilities of the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency are.

Michael Ellis: The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP was appointed as the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, in the Cabinet Office, on 8 February. The Minister of State will be responsible for realising the opportunities arising from Brexit and increasing the efficiency of government. A full list of ministerial responsibilities will be published in due course.

Cabinet Office: Bullying and Harassment

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants in his Department have received counselling as a result of workplace bullying or harassment in each year from 2010-11.

Michael Ellis: Counselling provision through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider is completely confidential and anonymised. Cabinet Office does not, therefore, hold data or details relating to the counselling that Civil Servants may receive. Furthermore, there are no metrics for onward referral or utilisation of counselling services following workplace bullying or harassment as this would break GDPR and employee confidentiality.

Cabinet Office: Racial Discrimination

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department's process for handling allegations of racial discrimination; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Ellis: A ‘Respect and Inclusion review’ for the Cabinet Office is currently underway. In the recent Declaration on Government reform, Ministers and Permanent Secretaries committed to set a new standard for diversity and inclusion, including guaranteeing fairness at work and zero tolerance for Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination. Our position at the centre of government - delivering against an ambitious agenda - means we have a responsibility to get this right. The review will have a particular focus on race and disability where our data shows scope for improvement.

Cabinet Office: Procurement

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has amended its outsourcing policies in response to the decision in Mr D Antwi and others v The Royal Parks Ltd: 2202211/2020 and others.

Michael Ellis: When conducting their procurement activities, central Government departments and their agencies must ensure that they meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and its associated Public Sector Equality Duty in a way that is consistent with the Government’s value for money policy and relevant public procurement law. The public procurement rules allow for equality-related issues to be taken into account in the procurement process where they are relevant to the subject matter, or relate to the performance, of the contract. Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 01/13 was published to remind departments of their legal obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), when conducting their public procurement activities.

Manufacturing Industries: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to use public procurement to help support the growth of British industries based in Newport West constituency.

Michael Ellis: The Government wants businesses from every corner of the UK to be successful in bidding for UK public contracts. We are reforming the procurement rules to make it simpler, quicker and cheaper for suppliers, including SMEs and social enterprises, to bid for public sector contracts. The Welsh Government has confirmed that it will join the reforms. The reforms will support the Government’s levelling up priorities by making it easier for public sector buyers to take account of social value when awarding contracts. Under the Government’s Social Value policy, contracting authorities can already set rigorous environmental and social standards, and other criteria, that play to the strengths of supply chains who can meet those standards. The scope to take societal benefits into account when awarding contracts will be increased, playing to the strengths of UK firms who are well placed to deliver benefits.

Cabinet Office: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many meetings he had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Michael Ellis: The Cabinet Office draws on a range of scientific advice and expertise, including from the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Chief Scientific Advisers in individual Government Departments as well as academics and researchers. The Cabinet Office does not have its own Chief Scientific Adviser.

Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill (HL)

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill on future living standards in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the implementation of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill.

Michael Ellis: The Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill and the Wellbeing of Future Generations (No.2) Bill are both Private Members’ Bills that are currently progressing through the House of Commons. The Government remains committed to developing the incorporation of long-term thinking in its policy development and has multiple items of existing legislation that facilitates this, but has reservations about the broad scope of these bills. Consultations or impact assessments are not carried out for Private Members’ Bills that the Government does not intend to support.

Forced Labour: Xinjiang

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to ensure that due diligence procedures for government procurement are adequate to prevent goods made from forced labour in Xinjiang from entering the UK supply chain.

Michael Ellis: This government is committed to preventing modern slavery occurring in public sector supply chains.The Cabinet Office has published commercial policy and guidance setting out the steps that all Government departments must take to identify and mitigate modern slavery and labour abuse risks throughout the commercial life cycle - focussing on the areas of highest risk. This policy is mandatory for all Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. The policy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0519-tackling-modern-slavery-in-government-supply-chains.

ATA IMS Berhad

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether products from the Malaysian company, ATA, are in the UK's public procurement supply chain.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether products from the Malaysian company, ATA, in the UK’s public procurement supply chain are supplied through public sector contracts to Schneider Electric.

Michael Ellis: Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search Information regarding products within the UK public sector supply chain is not held centrally. This government is committed to preventing modern slavery occurring in public sector supply chains. The Cabinet Office has published commercial policy and guidance setting out the steps that all Government departments must take to identify and mitigate modern slavery and labour abuse risks throughout the commercial life cycle - focussing on the areas of highest risk. This policy is mandatory for all Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies. The policy can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0519-tackling-modern-slavery-in-government-supply-chains.

Cabinet Office: Inquiries

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Cabinet Secretary and (b) any officials working on the Cabinet Secretary's Inquiry into government staff parties were in attendance at any of the gatherings under investigation.

Michael Ellis: I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office update from the Second Permanent Secretary which has been published on GOV.UK and placed in the Library of the House.

Ministers: Pay

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his new Chief of Staff will receive remuneration for that role in addition to his Ministerial salary.

Michael Ellis: I refer the Hon. Member to the reply I gave to the Hon. Member for Blackpool South on 7 February 2022 (Hansard volume 708, column 700).

Department for International Trade

Exports

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to UK trade: November 2021, published 14 January 2021, that showed total export of goods, including precious metals, decreased by £0.3 billion in November 2021, what steps she is taking to reverse the reduction in the export of goods.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Since the beginning of 2020, aggregate global trade flows have been lower, driven by the COVID pandemic. However, provisional ONS data from 11th February shows a £1.1 billion (3.9%) increase in our goods exports in December 2021, compared to November 2021 (excluding precious metals). This includes a £1 billion (7.4%) increase in goods exports to the EU. On a more stable annual basis, our goods exports (excluding precious metals) increased £14.5 billion (4.9%) in 2021, compared to 2020. Projections suggest that we will reach £1 trillion in exports annually by the mid-2030s.

Overseas Trade: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of international trade on (a) Romford constituency and (b) the outer London boroughs.

Mike Freer: Whilst trade data is not published at the constituency level, it is available for the outer London boroughs at the International Territorial Level (ITL) 3. The Romford constituency (along with three other constituencies) sits within the Barking & Dagenham and Havering ITL3 area. This area exported £3.2bn goods and services in 2019 ranking 59th out of all 168 GB ITL3 areas and imported £1.9bn, ranking 93rd. The outer London boroughs exported £37.7bn goods and services in 2019, this was 5.5% of total UK exports. In the same year, the outer London boroughs imported £44.1bn goods and services, 6.2% of total UK imports. UK exports (goods and services) outer London boroughs 2019, £ millionITL3 area nameValueBexley and Greenwich775Barking & Dagenham and Havering3,243Redbridge and Waltham Forest558Enfield1,707Bromley667Croydon995Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton2,624Barnet1,142Brent2,670Ealing3,383Harrow and Hillingdon7,176Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames12,747Total outer London boroughs37,687 UK imports (goods and services) outer London boroughs 2019, £ millionITL3 area nameValueBexley and Greenwich888Barking & Dagenham and Havering1,855Redbridge and Waltham Forest897Enfield1,384Bromley1,285Croydon1,040Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton5,306Barnet1,096Brent3,099Ealing2,884Harrow and Hillingdon12,077Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames12,290Total outer London boroughs44,101

Trade Agreements: Greenland

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to consult UK Fisheries on the interests of the UK far fishing fleet as part of the trade negotiations with Greenland.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The United Kingdom and Greenland have begun negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement, with the aim of securing preferential trade for British businesses and consumers. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will begin negotiations on access to Greenlandic fishing waters in parallel. Officials have engaged with businesses – including from the British fishing sector – to understand their views on trade with Greenland, and will continue to do so throughout negotiations.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Birmingham City Football Club

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2021 to Question 108456, on Football: Accountability, whether the Government has made an assessment of the adequacy of the current ownership and governance of Birmingham City Football Club.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government does not assess the ownership or governance arrangements of individual football clubs, but we recognise that they have unique social value and it is vital that they are protected.The final report of the Fan Led Review of Football Governance is a thorough and detailed examination of the challenges faced by English football now and in the future. The Government welcomes the findings of the review and has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review, that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game.The Government is currently considering the detail of all the recommendations, including those made on a new Owners’ and Directors’ test and corporate governance, and is working at pace to determine the most effective way to deliver an independent regulator, and any powers that might be needed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Chief Scientific Adviser

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings she had with her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Nigel Huddleston: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed.

Second Homes: Registration

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's announcement for a consultation on a register for holiday lets, whether she plans for a comprehensive listing of second properties, where residents may be on the electoral register but do not use the property as their primary residence.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government intends to launch a consultation on a Tourist Accommodation Registration Scheme later in 2022, but will begin the process by launching a call for evidence in the coming weeks.The call for evidence will seek views on a range of issues that arise from the increase in short-term holiday letting, not just on housing supply but also on matters such as compliance with health and safety regulations and the impact on anti-social behaviour.

Internet: Regulation

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ban the use of website cookies.

Julia Lopez: The use of cookies and similar technologies is regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). Currently, PECR prohibits the placement of cookies and similar technologies on a person’s computer, or other connected device, without the consent of the individual. There are currently two exceptions from gaining consent; for purposes that are essential to provide an online service at someone’s request (e.g. to remember what’s in their online basket, or to ensure security in online banking) and where this technology is needed to transmit a communication over a communications network.Organisations must provide clear information about what data is being collected via cookies and how it will be used, but we recognise that privacy information displayed in cookie banners can sometimes be long and complex. That is why we have been exploring a range of measures through the public consultation 'Data: A New Direction' to tackle the issue. Proposals include limiting cookie pop-up banners in relation to non-intrusive cookies, so that consumers can engage meaningfully with more important choices about how their personal data is used. We are also exploring how we can facilitate innovative technologies, such as browser-based solutions, to help people manage their consent preferences on the internet.The consultation closed on 19 November 2021 and the government’s response will be published in the spring. The consultation paper can be viewed here.

Broadband and Mobile Phones: Prices

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the impact on consumers of recent and planned above inflation prices rises in mobile and broadband contracts.

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the willingness of mobile and broadband providers to minimise the impact of recent cost increases on consumers.

Julia Lopez: We appreciate that price rises are never welcome, and we understand the recent increases announced by some operators may be particularly unwelcome given the wider pressures on the cost of living.We are engaging with mobile and broadband providers to explore ways that they can provide support to households who may be facing challenges paying their bills.The recent price increases announced by some providers are contained within the terms and conditions that consumers agreed to when taking out their service. We encourage customers to first check whether they are in contract or whether they might be able to leave without penalty. Figures released by Ofcom in November 2021, show that 35% of consumers in 2020 were out of contract, and the average out of contract broadband customer could save more than £61 a year by switching.Consumers who are bound by their contract may benefit from speaking with their provider and discussing the options that may be available to support them.

Television Licences: Concessions

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote access to a free TV licence by claiming pension credit.

Julia Lopez: The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee and all of its concessions. The Government is therefore not involved in TV Licensing operations.Information about Pension Credit and how to check whether someone is eligible for a free licence is included on all of TV Licensing’s mailings, as well as on the TV Licensing website.The Government makes information about TV licence concessions available on the gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/free-discount-tv-licence.

Muriel McKay

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the National Archive received a request from Clive Stafford-Smith, in the interests of Krishna Maharaj and Rupert Burgess for the family of Mrs Muriel McKay, for access to material relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Hosein brothers; which Ministers will need to approve that request; and whether she expects the material requested will be made available.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Prime Minister will instruct each relevant Department to authorise the National Archive to make available access to all the material requested by Rupert Burgess and Clive Stafford-Smith in relation to the investigation and prosecution of the Hosein brothers for killing Mrs Muriel McKay; and if she will make a statement.

Julia Lopez: The National Archives has not received a direct request for information from Mr Clive Stafford-Smith for access to material relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Hosein brothers.The National Archives received a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 02 June 2021 on behalf of one of the parties named for access to ten Crown Prosecution Service records (DPP 2/4806-4815) and one Attorney General’s Office record (LO 2/192).The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives applicants the right to know whether a public authority holds the information requested and to have it communicated to them, subject to any exemptions, which may apply. Some of the information contained within the requested files has been made accessible to the public, however the majority remained closed because the information is exempt under sections 38 (1) (a) and 40 (2) (by virtue of section 40 (3A) personal data exemption) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. As exemptions apply, The National Archives cannot make these records available to the applicant or to the public in general.The FOI process is not subject to Ministerial or Prime Ministerial approval. There is, however, an appeals process in which any application of FOI exemptions/closure can be re-reviewed.Outside of the FOI process, individual government departments may allow discretionary access to their historic files, having first recalled them from The National Archives for the purposes of review, as permitted by the Public Records Act (1958).

Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Martin Vickers: To ask the Right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what the monthly operating costs are of the Restoration and Renewal Programme, (a) in total and (b) by spending on (i) employment/salaries, (ii) planning and( iii) works.

Mark Tami: The Restoration and Renewal Programme comprises the Sponsor Body and the Delivery Authority. The monthly operating costs shown below are an average of the total costs for April to December 2021 for each organisation.a) The total monthly operating costs of the Programme is £9.5m.b) Monthly operating costs for (i) employment/salaries, (ii) planning and (iii) works are set out in the table below. Sponsor Body Delivery AuthorityTotalEmployment/Salaries (£m)*0.4 1.21.6Planning (£m)**0.6 4.04.6Works (£m)***0.0 3.33.3Monthly average (£m)1.0 8.59.5Notes*All directly employed staff and all interims. ** Includes all other spend not covered in Employment/ Salaries and Works - Data & Digital, outsourced Programme Management Services (Programme Management, Programme Delivery, Programme Development, Health & Safety, Assurance & Quality) and all non-staff corporate costs (accommodation etc.). *** Includes all spend on the three main projects of the Programme (Palace of Westminster, House of Lords Decant and Heritage). The majority of this spend is on design costs, but also includes surveys and integrated team costs. It should be noted the projects are currently in the Concept Design (PoW/HoL Decant) or Preparation and Brief stage (Heritage), so there are no construction costs associated with these works.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Martin Vickers: To ask the Right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what the latest estimate is that the Delivery Authority has submitted to the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body regarding the overall cost of the Restoration and Renewal Programme.

Mark Tami: The Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority have been working to the mandate set out in the resolutions of both Houses in early 2018 and the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019 to prepare a Programme Business Case for the works to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster.The approach to developing a Programme Business Case was confirmed and agreed with the House Commissions following a Strategic Review of the Restoration and Renewal Programme in early 2021. That Programme Business Case was planned to be presented to both Houses in 2023 and, as part of the normal process of developing such a Business Case, information is regularly shared between the Delivery Authority and Sponsor Body for review, scrutiny, challenge and guidance.In recent months, the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority have, for the first time, brought together an initial consolidated view of a preliminary cost and schedule range for an option known as the R&R Essential Scheme. This initial estimate reflects emerging thoughts, approximately half way through the planned period for developing the Programme Business Case. This does not represent a formal cost estimate and remains subject to a considerable amount of further work, planned for the next year.The House of Commons Commission has recently requested that the Sponsor Body publishes this information and a copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library shortly.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition Certificates

Kim Johnson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to de-medicalise the process of obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate.

Mike Freer: The Government held a public consultation on the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in 2018, which we responded to in 2020. We carefully considered the responses to the consultation and concluded that the balance struck in the legislation is correct. There are proper checks and balances in the system for people who want to change their legal sex and we have no intention of changing what is required to do so.We are progressing in our commitment, announced at the same time in 2020, to make the gender recognition process more straightforward and accessible. That is why we have already reduced the fee to £5 and are digitising the application process to make it more accessible and easier to navigate.

Minister for Women and Equalities: Chief Scientific Advisers

Greg Clark: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many meetings she had with her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser from (a) 1 March to 31 May 2021, (b) 1 June to 31 August 2021 and (c) 1 September to 30 November 2021.

Mike Freer: The Cabinet Office, where the Equality Hub is based, draws from a range of scientific advice and expertise. The Equality Hub does not have its own Chief Scientific Adviser.